Man arrested after paedophile TV documentary

By CNN Denmark

COPENHAGEN, Denmark -- Police in Copenhagen have arrested a 60-year-old man on charges of sexually abusing under-age boys, following a TV expose of an alleged paedophile ring.

A journalist from the television station TV-2 went undercover for almost a year to investigate the activities of the legal organisation, the Paedophile Group.

In the documentary, called 'The Paedophile Danes,' group members were shown exchanging child porn and giving advice on how to contact children in Internet chat rooms.

The programme has prompted calls for a ban on the organisation but many politicians appear reluctant.

Minister of Justice Frank Jensen has promised a thorough police investigation to determine whether, and to what extent, members of the Paedophile Group have engaged in illegal activities.

Only then, Jensen said, would the government discuss a possible ban.

Under the Danish constitution, any citizen has the right to set up an organisation and the country's parliament has, in the past, failed in a bid to outlaw bikers' groups.

Conservative politician Gitte Seeberg said that decision should serve as a warning to her colleagues this time.

"I don't think we politicians should pretend to know anything about this," she said. "We have had the debate before and the conclusion was that bikers' organisations could not be banned. That's why I don't want to demand a ban. The politician's job is to demand an investigation."

The Paedophile Group says its purpose, apart from supporting convicted and reformed paedophiles, is "to promote public knowledge and reduce prejudice against paedophilia, children's sexuality as well as voluntary emotional and sexual relations between adults and children".

CNN Denmark

Note: Pages will open in a new browser window

External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.