The children exploited in these images must live with the permanency, longevity, and circulation of such a record of their sexual victimization. Experts and victims agree that victims depicted in child pornography often suffer a lifetime of re-victimization by knowing the images of their sexual abuse are on the Internet forever. When these images are placed on the Internet and disseminated online, the victimization of the children continues in perpetuity. The production of child pornography creates a permanent record of a child’s sexual abuse. However, this term fails to describe the true horror that is faced by countless children every year.

A violation of federal child pornography laws is a serious crime, and convicted offenders face fines severe statutory penalties (For more information, see Citizen's Guide to Federal Law on Child Pornography).īecause the term “child pornography” is used in federal statutes, it is also commonly used by lawmakers, prosecutors, investigators, and the public to describe this form of sexual exploitation of children. Images of child pornography are also referred to as child sexual abuse images.įederal law prohibits the production, distribution, importation, reception, or possession of any image of child pornography. Federal law defines child pornography as any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a minor (persons less than 18 years old).

speaks at the National Strategy Conference on Combating Child Exploitation in San Jose, California, May 19, 2011.Ĭhild pornography is a form of child sexual exploitation. Tragically, the only place we´ve seen a decrease is in the age of victims. “Unfortunately, we´ve also seen a historic rise in the distribution of child pornography, in the number of images being shared online, and in the level of violence associated with child exploitation and sexual abuse crimes.

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