Photos of Northern Ireland schoolgirls on pornographic website used by paedophiles

Hundreds of photos stolen from social networks were found on a website under 'provocative' headings

The photos were pictures taken in innocence by the girls of themselves and their friends inside and outside of school (PA)

Over 700 photographs of school girls in Northern Ireland have been put on a pornographic website being run from Israel used by paedophiles, an investigation has uncovered.

The schoolgirls included pupils from 19 post-primary schools across Northern Ireland, the BBC Spotlight NI investigation found, including some of the best grammar and high schools.

A representative of the website tracked down in America claimed the images were simply "risqué" and for the "fantasy" of its users.

The photos were pictures taken in innocence by the girls of themselves and their friends inside and outside of school. They appear to have been taken from social network profiles without their knowledge.

In some of the images, bare skin was exposed as well as underwear. The website they were placed on had galleries of the children under “provocative” headings. “Explicit paedophilic comments” were posted under some of the images.

The investigation also discovered that while the website hosting the images is registered to an offshore accountancy business in Cyprus, it is based in and run from Israel.

The website has since removed the images, but would not confirm who had uploaded them to the site. The BBC has passed on information about the website to the Police Service of Northern Ireland’s (PSNI) Child Protection Unit.

All of the schools concerned have also been informed.

The Independent has contacted the PSNI for comment.