Justice Department targets... obscenity.

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: "Perry E. Metzger" <perry () piermont com>
Date: August 30, 2005 5:38:19 PM EDT
To: dave () farber net
Subject: for IP: Justice Department targets... obscenity.



I'm a computer security guy, and I've sometimes wondered why it is
that the feds don't work harder on stopping the organized gangs that
conduct online extortion, "phishing" based bank fraud, and other
criminal activity that causes serious harm. Here is perhaps a partial
answer: the feds have other priorities. For example, they think porn
-- not child porn, just garden variety porn -- is a priority.

http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1125318960389

Exerpt:

    When FBI supervisors in Miami met with new interim U.S. Attorney
    Alex Acosta last month, they wondered what the top enforcement
    priority for Acosta and Attorney General Alberto Gonzales would be.

    Would it be terrorism? Organized crime? Narcotics trafficking?
    Immigration? Or maybe public corruption?

    The agents were stunned to learn that a top prosecutorial priority
    of Acosta and the Department of Justice was none of the
    above. Instead, Acosta told them, it's obscenity. Not pornography
    involving children, but pornographic material featuring consenting
    adults.

    Acosta's stated goal of prosecuting distributors of adult porn has
    angered federal and local law enforcement officials, as well as
    prosecutors in his own office. They say there are far more
    important issues in a high-crime area like South Florida, which is
    an international hub at risk for terrorism, money laundering and
    other dangerous activities.

You just can't make stuff like this up.

Perry


-------------------------------------
You are subscribed as lists-ip () insecure org
To manage your subscription, go to
 http://v2.listbox.com/member/?listname=ip

Archives at: http://www.interesting-people.org/archives/interesting-people/