Psychologists warn Internet porn encourages sex offenders

Psychologists have warned that Internet pornography is normalising extreme fantasies and increasing the risk of sexual offences.

Experts believe Internet pornography is encouraging extreme sexual and violent fantasies because it allows like-minded individuals to reinforce and push each other to ever more deviant behaviour.

Dr Tim Jones, a senior lecturer in cognitive psychology at Worcester University and other psychologists, including Britain's leading criminologist Prof David Wilson of Birmingham City University, carried out a research project.

It involved a series of interviews with a convicted paedophile known only as James at Grendon Prison, Bucks, which specialises in the therapeutic treatment of sex offenders.

He is serving a 14-year sentence for multiple sex offences against children.

Jones said he believed that there was a "causal link" between Internet pornography and sex offences.

"The Internet is fuelling more extreme fantasies and the danger is that they could be played out in real life," The Telegraph quoted him as saying.