Limitations on access to porn sites are set to be rolled out (Picture: Layar)

Ministers are set to crack down on violent pornography as part of an initiative to protect children from harmful images online.

The glorification of rape and other serious sexual offences is expected to be banned under the latest plans to close the gap on a legislative loop-hole, where scenes of rape are not considered ‘extreme’.

Pornography featuring scenes of simulated rape is already banned in Scotland but UK-wide legislation, which was rolled out in 2008, makes it an offence to possess ‘extreme’ pornography and does not currently include images of rape.

MPs to crackdown on access to violent pornography online (Picture: PA)

A letter from Policing and Criminal Justice Minister Damian Green to the Rape Crisis South London group suggested the government is doing more to address the issue.




Mr Green said in his letter: ‘The government is now actively considering the serious matters [raised by campaigners] including amending the existing criminal law.’

Fiona Elvines, from Rape Crisis South London, said: ‘We are hopeful the government will listen to overwhelming support for legislative change to close the rape pornography loophole.’

In a speech on Monday, David Cameron is to announce a number of agreements between the government and internet companies to restrict access to pornography to those opting to see certain sites.

David Cameron is calling for a clampdown on child porn (Picture: AP)

As part of a number of reforms to safeguard the web, the government will also introduce a level of protection for public wi-fi connections.

Internet companies have called for tougher legal safeguards on pornography as firms do not believe they should be held accountable for deciding what content should be restricted.

Industry watchdogs have also warned that porn websites available to users in the UK which are hosted abroad could be very difficult to regulate.

The Authority for Television On Demand found that 16 services, operating across 26 websites, were in breach of the statutory rules in 2012-13 because they featured hardcore porn material which could be accessed by under-18s.