Internet usage law

paulrichards

Hi.

I really need some impartial advice as I am very very concerned.

I recently began researching naturism as from what I have heard it can be a very rewarding and free-ing experience. Also, I work for an international company and some colleagues in other countries talk of being involved and how great it is.

I googled around and found bits and pieces of information but nothing detailed. I was looking for somewhere that would explain what it is all about, the philosophy of it and ways to become involved - places to go etc.. where people new to the whole thing would be accepted.
One of the top google results looked promising and sounded like it had the information that I was looking for. I registered with the site (for a small fee) and everything seemed fine. I read all their disclaimers are all seems legit. The site seemed very professional and I had no security concerns.

When I got in however I did not find the info that I wanted. It was more of a site designed to display photos etc. so I left the site and cancelled my registration. I also sent a mail to the support team for the site and asked them to confirm that my registration was cancelled and explained that the site did not seem to have what I required. I did not see anything that I considered illegal on the site. The support team assured me that photos etc.. of naturist families is not illegal.
However, I now believe that the site could potentially contain some illegal material (I have no evidence of this but it is a hunch). The support team again have assured me that there is nothing illegal but I cannot be certain. I would like the site to be investigated because I do not condone any of this illegal material whatsoever.

My concern however is that by reporting the site I will be implicating myself as my details are on the sites records. I have all the correspondence between myself and the site that clearly show my concerns and their responses to these concerns. I also have the confirmations of my signing-up and immediate cancellation.

What is my legal standing? Do we (in Ireland) have any support for this situation?
What should/can I do to get the site checked out but at the same time ensure that my innocent association does not end me in a lot of trouble?

Please help me decide what to do if you can.

Regards

paulrichards

I am really just looking for some advice on this...anything that anyone can offer would be very much appreciated

hullaballoo

This isn't legal advice, it's just based on common sense more than anything. If you reported it, you would not be implicated in any criminal prosecutions. Just like if you reported a scam whereby you were tricked into revealing your bank details, you would not be implicated.

paulrichards

Thanks Hullaballoo

That is exactly what I want to do but I guess I am not sure how best to go about that?? Do I just stroll into a garda station and tell them or is there a more dedicated unit that I need to talk to?
Again, I have no evidence that the site is anything but legit - I just fear that if there did happen to be anything dodgy on the site, I will be linked to it. I did not spend much time looking around this site once I realised that it did not have the information that I needed.

Once reported, what happens next? What is the procedure for the garda to investigate a non-Irish site?

Cheers

paulrichards

I just found a site called hotline.ie that seems to be a place that such things can be reported
Thanks

mneylon

Hotline.ie is primarily for reporting child porn, which is illegal.