South Australian police are trying to block access to a US website which features nude photos of Australian women, including potentially hundreds of Adelaide women and teenagers.
Electronic Crime Section boss Barry Blundell says police have received reports in relation to the site and are speaking with the federal communication authorities to have access from Australia blocked.
He says attempts are also being made to track down people in Australia who might have illegally posted images on the site.
But Senior Sergeant Blundell told ABC radio on Wednesday that local police are powerless to have the site shut down or to have images removed.
Many of the photos have been taken from private Facebook accounts and are available for anyone to download while others have been posted by former partners.
Women who have complained have been told by a moderator of the US based site they need to approach "the owners" of the photos.
"First, let's be clear: (this site) is hosted in the United States, not Australia," the administrator said.
"The United States, for its part, still has some freedom left."
Independent Senator Nick Xenophon described the website as "sickening" and will also speak to regulators to try to have access to such sites blocked.
"The photos have to come from somewhere and if they come from an ex-partner, then that ex-partner who does such a nasty or spiteful thing ought to be subject to a sanction," he said.
Sgt Blundell said if photos were posted by a former partner they could be charged under indecent filming legislation for distributing images without consent.
