U.K. Airport Bans Nude X-ray Photos of Kids over Child Porn Fears

[The Straight Story]

U.K. Airport Bans Nude X-ray Photos of Kids over Child Porn Fears

Airport security workers at Manchester Airport’s terminal 2 have been banned from subjecting minors to a new X-ray booth that sees passengers nude bodies through their clothing.

The device, a booth that passengers stand in while electromagnetic rays look through their clothing for hidden items like weapons and explosives, was launched last week at the U.K. airport. While standing in the booth, the outline of the persons body is seen through their clothing on computer monitors. The 20 second scan reveals any hidden items, but it also reveals the person’s genitals and every contour of their body. The scanner is so sensitive that it can also detect things like breast implants and their bone structure.

The problem is that legislation was passed in the U.K. back in 1978 called the Protection of Children Act which criminalizes the creation of nude or pseudo-nude photos of children. Using the “Rapiscan machines” to scan anyone under the age of 18 would subject airport security staff to potential criminal prosecution under the legislation.

Airport security officials were aware of the legislation before bringing the new airport scanner online and initially intended to let children be scanned with their parents consent, but even that stepped into a legal gray area, potentially subjecting parents to the child protection legislation for allowing their children to be photographed in a revealing way.

http://www.inquisitr.com/43215/u-k-airport-bans-nude-x-ray-photos-of-kids-over-child-porn-fears/

[truebrit71]

1. I love it when the Nanny-State starts to collapse under the weight of it's own paranoia...

...reminds me of the Knights of Ni in Python's Holy Grail...

[seabeyond]

2. i love it when we lose our right to be clothed. nt

[Chemisse]

3. That is pretty ironic

Fear of terrorism vs fear of perversion.

It looks like the slim, outside chance that some security guard could find such an image arousing trumps the equally slim chance that some child is carrying an explosive that could down an entire aircraft.