Among the alarming increase in child pornography cases to strike Japan in 2009 are a number of particularly disturbing incidents: Child porn made and sold by the children's own mothers.

In many cases, mothers or other relatives agreed to sell nude photographs of their children to men they met on Internet underwear shops. So far this year, at least 12 guardians have been arrested on child porn suspicions related to their own children. Once the images are distributed on the Internet, it is virtually impossible to recover them, and the National Police Agency is now cooperating with other branches of government on formulating preventative policies.

"As a mother, you committed a deed as grievous as sexual abuse against your own child, whom you are bound to protect with your very life," a Sendai District Court judge declared at the conclusion of one such case. "And yet, you gave a reason as preposterous as money for your actions. From now on, pour your love into raising your child," the judge concluded, sentencing the 23-year-old mother to one year in prison, suspended for three years.