It's hard core and it's graphic. These pictures could never be on TV if we showed them without covering them you'd be shocked and you'd certainly send your kids out of the room.But our hidden cameras found your children may be exposed to inappropriate images like these in a place you'd never imagine on the computers at your local public library. Hank Phillippi Ryan, 7Investigative Reporter”When it comes to kids seeing pornography, it's clear they could.”Nadine Mitchell, Lynn Public Library”They could.”This is the library in Lynn. When we arrived, it was bustling and busy.We chose a computer at random in the main lobby and clicked on history.The drop down menu showed exactly what previous users had already seen and look, it says: “hero teens”. And that is this: pages of explicit photos with labels like, “teen porn stars.”Hank Phillippi Ryan, 7Investigative Reporter”Are you surprised at what we found?”Nadine Mitchell, Lynn Public Library”It happens occasionally, Im not surprised. We do our best to be vigilant. We really do.”On a library computer in Somerville, the web history took us to “collarme.com,” a site showing sado-masochism and bondage. In Medford, a library full of teenagers, the search history revealed someone had looked for photos of “nude pregnant teens.” There are special filters that block out inappropriate content they're inexpensive and easy to install, but they don't always work. Weymouth uses them but the history there showed sex.com. Which we easily opened.In Everett, where the history drop down was blank, we entered porn.com and up came this no-no face. But at the next computer, which was in full view of any kids around, we hid our screen and were able to bring up dozens of triple x photos.Some libraries don't use filters at all. Librarians say what blocks pornography may also block important information; breast cancer, anatomy, sexually transmitted diseases.And what about free speech? Newton's library, like many others, has a “no pornography policy” but does not filter information.Kathy Glick-Weil, MA Library Assoc.”We would never criticize a library that filters if they felt like that was what was needed in their community. But we do, very strongly, support the concept of intellectual freedom.”Librarians themselves are sometimes the filters. Some Hingham librarians say they caught this man, a convicted sex offender printing out nude photos and reported him to police.The librarians we talked to say that if they spy a porn-watcher, they throw the person out.Hank Phillippi Ryan, 7Investigative Reporter”Does that always work?”Nadine Mitchell, Lynn Public Library”No. In a perfect world, if we catch someone, we ask them to leave. But we don't always catch someone, if it gets very busy. But we try our best.”We found at many libraries with posted Internet policies they clearly prohibit pornography but say 'parents are responsible' for what their children view.So, in your local library, who's making sure your kids don't see what they shouldn't see? You are.Joanne Lamothe, Weymouth Public Library”we're attending to very many people in the library so we cannot be responsible for seeing what each and every child does.”Each communities library makes it own rules about computer use you can check with your librarian to find out if your library's system has a filter or free access.
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