Tougher Child-Porn Law Would Make Viewing It a Crime

4-15-2013 Vermont:

A recent spike in arrests for possession of child pornography suggests Vermont is gaining ground in the battle against this cyber crime. Since December, state and federal prosecutors have announced the felony arrests or convictions of at least eight men accused of possessing lewd, graphic and frequently violent images involving sex with children.

Now police and prosecutors who handle these cases are urging lawmakers to close a loophole in state law that allows suspects to escape prosecution if they viewed those images over the internet but didn’t actually download — and thus “possess” — them.

Under federal law it’s already illegal to view pornographic material involving anyone under the age of 18. But Vermont is one of 21 states that has not outlawed it in state statute. As a result, state prosecutors say it’s more difficult for them to secure child-porn convictions than it is for their federal counterparts.

A bill coming up for discussion this week in the Senate Judiciary Committee aims to change that. S.19, sponsored by the committee’s chairman, Sen. Dick Sears (D-Bennington), would make it illegal to “access with intent to view” photos, videos or other depictions of sexual or lewd acts involving kids under 16. ...continued... by Ken Picard