LONDON — “Sexualised” pop stars are more likely to negatively impact children on the Internet than hardcore pornography because of the lack of “filter”, according to a child protection expert Jim Gamble yesterday (Oct 29).

The Culture, Media and Sport select committee said that children had “no filter” to reduce or prevent the viewing of such celebrities compared to hardcore pornography, according to The Daily Telegraph.

He said: “I think there is far to great focus and emphasis on (the online pornography) side of the debate, if you look at Miley Cyrus, if you look at some of the other pop stars and their behaviour, that has a far greater and much more easily accessible influence on young people today than actually seeing adult, or hardcore pornography, for that matter.

“There is no debate or discussion really about that because you have young pop stars who young people want to emulate behaving in a highly sexualised way — and there is no filter (for that).”

Cyrus was criticised for her skimpy outfit and provocative dance moves, ‘twerking” during the MTV video awards.

The young pop star transformed from Disney Channel actress to her new music video for her song Wrecking Ball, in which she is mostly naked and suggestively licking a sledgehammer. Cyrus said she felt ‘very confident being naked” and “that stripping off is a way of expressing purity of emotion”.

Former Eurhythmics singer Annie Lennox has said that she was “disturbed and dismayed by the recent spate of overtly sexualised performances and videos”.

Lennox said that record companies were “peddling highly styled pornography” rather that young “impressionable” girls were already bombarded with “a tidal wave of sexualised imagery”.

Mr Gamble added that parents should make an “active choice” at making a judgement call to discern whether content is appropriate for their children.

He said: “If parents are prompted to make a decision then I don’t think you can do more than that — you aren’t going into their homes and look after their children for them.

“The reason it is inappropriate and not illegal is because it is not against the law and thereby quite appropriate for a parents or a carer or person who has a duty of care to make that decision.” AGENCIES