ALEXANDRIA, Va. - June 16, 2008 - The National Law Center for Children and Families (NLC), a national nonprofit organization dedicated to combating child sexual exploitation, commended three Internet service providers (ISPs) for an agreement to purge their servers of child pornography newsgroups and Web sites.

In addition to restricting customer access to the illegal material, the ISPs - Verizon, Time Warner Cable and Sprint - agreed to donate more than $1 million to be used for additional anti-child pornography efforts within the attorney general's office and through nonprofit organizations.

"We are thrilled that these ISPs are taking a stand against illegal content," said Richard R. Whidden, Jr., executive director of the NLC. "We urge other providers to follow the example set by these industry leaders and curtail access to illegal images."

The issue came to light after an undercover investigation by New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo's office found 88 different Usenet newsgroups containing child pornography. The attorney general's office created a database of "hash values" - or digital identifications that can be used to identify identical images - and was able to identify which ISPs were be used to access to these child pornography images online.

"Every week, thousands of new child pornography images are uploaded to the Internet, and each of these images represents a digital documentation of a crime scene," Whidden said. "By limiting the transfer and availability of child pornography, these ISPs are acting as advocates for children."

About the NLC

The National Law Center for Children and Families is a nonprofit organization headquartered in Alexandria, Va. It is a leading source for experienced assistance and training in the law enforcement and legal profession's efforts to defend children from sexual exploitation. Information on the National Law Center's programs can be found on our Web site located at www.nationallawcenter.org.