Nude child photos raise concern

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Eleven-year-old Olympia and her parents are at the centre of the latest controversy after photos were taken by her mother when she was just six.

In a well orchestrated performance, father and daughter used today's media interest to continue the ongoing campaign being waged by artists against what they claim is unnecessary censorship and now they have a fresh young face to front it.

"I woke up yesterday morning to turn on the TV to see my picture blocked, my body blocked with a big black square and I thought that was offensive to see my body blocked on TV," Olympia said.

"I didn't think that was very nice."

Professor Nelson believes artists should be free from the scrutiny we all endure when it comes to photographing children.

"The violation of children, there is a very weak link between that and imagery," he said.

The Federal Police are now investigating whether Olympia has been exploited and if the images constitute child pornography.

Two weeks ago, explicit photos of a 12-year-old girl taken by Bill Henson were seized from a New South Wales gallery and despite showing the child fully naked they were declared "art" and returned.

Anti-child abuse campaigner, Hetty Johnson, said there are thousands of people out there who love to look at naked children.

"They have just presented their daughter on a plate to that community," she said.

"I think anybody who takes a photograph of a child naked for public consumption for public viewing for sale for whatever, is exploiting their child, intentionally or not.

"That's the end result."

While artists can take photo's of nude children, mum's and dads would be being treated like criminals after some were banned from taking photo's of their own children at swimming lessons, at school or playing sport.

Father-of-three Phillip Morgan is angry that he was stopped by staff from taking photo's of his three boys at a Melbourne roller skating rink.

"I asked her under what conditions I could take photos of my children. Do I have to hire the venue out in order to take photos? She admitted that was about the only way I could do it," he said.

Dr Samantha Thomas from Monash University's Centre of Ethics is convinced it is all a result of rapidly changing public attitudes because of rapidly changing technologies.

"What a select group of people would normally see in a gallery can now be seen right across the globe," she said.