News Release: Finally Superior Court Gets it Right - Viewing Child Porn is Illegal in Pennsylvania

American Family Association of Pennsylvania

http://www.afaofpa.org

 

NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  August 27, 2007

CONTACT:  Diane Gramley   1.814.271.9078 or 1.814.437.5355

 

Finally Superior Court Gets it Right – Viewing Child Porn is Illegal in Pennsylvania!

 

(Harrisburg) – Last week’s decision by the full Pennsylvania Superior Court reversed the bad November decision by a three-judge panel.  Under that decision one could legally view child porn on the Internet as long as the images were not intentionally saved on the computer.  The American Family Association of Pennsylvania (AFA of PA) commends this most recent decision which will have a positive impact on children in the Commonwealth. 

 

“Child pornography victimizes children and fuels the minds of potential child molesters, it still boggles the mind that three judges here in Pennsylvania could rule that simply because someone did not know the images were being automatically stored on a computer he would be free of any wrongdoing even while intentionally seeking and viewing child porn,” commented Diane Gramley, president of the AFA of PA. 

 

The November decision prompted the Pennsylvania State House to pass H.B. 35 on April 17 by a vote of 195 to 0.  This bill clearly states that intentionally viewing child pornography in any form is illegal.  It currently sits in the Senate Judiciary Committee. 

 

Special note should be taken:

 

q     Child pornography has become a $3 billion annual business. 

q     Since 1988 child pornography images on the Internet have increased 1500%.

q     The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children revealed, in a June 2005 study, that 40% of arrested child pornography possessors had both sexually victimized children and were in possession of child pornography. 

q     More than 20,000 images of child pornography are posted on the Internet every week.

q     The typical age of children is between six and 12, but the profile is getting younger – more babies and toddlers are being victimized.

 

“Every possible step must be taken to protect our children from harm and an important step was recognizing that knowingly viewing child porn is not only wrong but illegal.  If the three-judge panel decision had been upheld, our children would have not only been the losers but the victims.  Technology may change, but the protection of our children must be of utmost concern for all,” Gramley further commented.

 

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