A UK member of parliament (MP) is calling for an end to anonymity for pre-paid credit cards when they are used to buy online child pornography.
Geraint Davies, Labour MP for Swansea West, is set to put his case in the House today in a Ten minute rule Motion - a device designed to enable back benchers to raise issues.
According to the BBC, he has received the backing of 40 fellow MPs so far for the motion, which says: "That leave be given to bring in a Bill to impose penalties on credit and debit card providers for the facilitation of the downloading of child pornography from the internet; and for connected purposes."
Davis told the BBC's Today programme that pre-paid cards that can be picked up from local shops and are completely anonymous are being used directly, or through a password, to download abusive images.
"This is the means of thousands of perverts viewing abusive pictures and we need to stop that. One way to do that is to identify them, and if the credit card companies facilitate this abuse they should also be penalised," he told the programme.
Visa Europe has issued a statement saying: "Since 2002, we have employed the services of an organisation that uses its advanced internet search technology to scan the web around the clock to find sites displaying the Visa logo and professing to sell child abuse imagery. Wherever we find a site offering such material for sale via Visa payment cards, we alert our banks and the law enforcement agencies. Our rules stipulate clearly that our member banks must terminate the acquiring contracts with these merchants. We also work with law enforcement to assist in the arrest of the criminals."
MP urges fines for credit card firms over child porn - BBC