FC: Ashcroft & friends: We'll try again to ban "morphed" child porn

[Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>]

Attorney General John Ashcroft and friendly congresscritters held a press 
conference today where they swore to find a way to ban "morphed" child porn 
and circumvent those pesky Supreme Court justices. The anti-pornsters 
outlined a new bill called the "Child Obscenity and Pornography Prevention 
Act of 2002." (A terrible name, since its COPPA abbreviation will 
inevitably be confused with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act of 
1998. Talk about a lack of imagination.)

I've placed the bill here:
http://www.politechbot.com/docs/doj.childporn.bill.050102.html
http://www.politechbot.com/docs/doj.childporn.bill.050102.doc
http://www.politechbot.com/docs/doj.childporn.bill.050102.wpd

One section applies to anyone who "provides any obscene matter or child 
pornography, or any visual depiction that is, or is virtually 
indistinguishable from, that of a pre-pubescent child engaging in sexually 
explicit conduct..."

This comes after the Supreme Court struck down Congress' previous effort, 
the "Child Pornography Prevention Act of 1996," as unconstitutional:
http://www.politechbot.com/cgi-bin/politech.cgi?name=morphed

Rhetoric was high at today's press conference:
http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,52230,00.html
> "I hope this legislation meets the standard set by the Supreme Court," 
> said Rep. Mark Foley (R-Florida). "Pedophiles do not have a First 
> Amendment right to gawk over exploited children, real or virtual."

Foley (best known, perhaps, for judging the Congressional Art Competition 
and opening up FBI databases so volunteer groups can check names against 
them) has placed his statement here:
http://www.gop.gov/item-news.asp?N=20020501102427

More background on the bill, as supplied by the Justice Department:
http://www.politechbot.com/docs/doj.childporn.factsheet.050102.doc
http://www.politechbot.com/docs/doj.childporn.factsheet.050102.wpd

http://www.politechbot.com/docs/doj.childporn.summary.050102.doc
http://www.politechbot.com/docs/doj.childporn.summary.050102.wpd

Of course we knew this was coming. See what I sent to Politech last night:

"Sen. Orrin Hatch vows a second try at 'morphed' kiddie porn law"
http://www.politechbot.com/p-03467.html

-Declan




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