(WASHINGTON, DC) -- ``A Yahoo spokesperson today defended Yahoo!'s policy that has resulted in dozens, perhaps hundreds of child pornography and rape clubs and directories on Yahoo!'s site,'' said Patrick Trueman, AFA's director of governmental affairs. Sue Florimonte of Yahoo!'s customer care center told Trueman there are no plans to change the company's policy which relies on Yahoo!'s users to police clubs and directories.

``Yahoo! is not willing to protect children from those on Yahoo! who would sexually exploit them,'' Trueman said. Yahoo! has both public and private child pornography clubs. Yahoo!'s public clubs are open to anyone, including children. Private clubs require an invitation from the club director. Directors of child pornography clubs normally require that child pornography be e-mailed to the director before invitations are granted.

Yahoo! also maintains ``directories'' of users categorized by interest of its users. AFA has complained for months of Yahoo!'s Incest and Rape Directories. Through these directories, Yahoo! users find other Yahoo! users with whom they trade child pornography or rape photos. Many Yahoo! users, currently on the Incest Directory indicate a desire to find and have sex with children. Many on the Rape Directory openly indicate their desire to rape women. The users of the directories also indicate which Yahoo! clubs offer child pornography and rape photos as well as other information on these subjects. ``Yahoo! should not facilitate rapists and child pornographers,'' Trueman said. ``The current Yahoo! policy that relies on its users to police its site is irresponsible and unconscionable. The policy also makes no sense! For example, the users of Yahoo!'s private child pornography clubs are not likely to complain to the company since their obvious desire is to have access to child pornography. Most public child pornography and rape clubs are not likely to be reported because the only people looking for those sites have an interest in the material the sites provide.

AFA is urging its hundreds of thousands of supporters to make the public aware of the harm from Yahoo!. Supporters have been urged to post warnings about Yahoo! in their church and church bulletins, and at their place of employment, and to write letters to editors, and send e-mail alerts to all their friends. AFA also seeks signatures on its petition urging Yahoo! to clean up its site. The petition may be found at http://www.afa.net .