FC: Senate follows House, tries "morphed" child porn law v2.0

[Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>]

Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) press statement:
http://www.senate.gov/%7Eleahy/press/200205/051502a.html

Note how Leahy (who fancies himself to be a civil libertarian) admits 
"parts of the bill are closer to the First Amendment line" but exhorts his 
colleagues to enact it anyway.

Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah)'s statements:
http://hatch.senate.gov/pressapp/record.cfm?id=182786
http://hatch.senate.gov/pressapp/record.cfm?id=182787

Hatch describes their "PROTECT" (Prosecutorial Remedies And Tools Against 
The Exploitation Of Children Today) act thusly:
   Plugs the loophole that exists today where child pornographers can
   escape prosecution by claiming that their sexually explicit material
   did not actually involve real children by allowing the prosecution to
   proceed when the child pornography includes persons who appear
   virtually indistinguishable from actual minors.

   Prohibits the pandering or solicitation of anything represented to be
   obscene child pornography.

   Prohibits any depictions of minors, or apparent minors, in actual -
   not simulated - acts of bestiality, sadistic or masochistic abuse, or
   sexual intercourse, when such depictions lack literary, artistic,
   political or scientific value.

   Beefs up existing record keeping requirements for those who chose to
   produce sexually explicit materials.

   Creates a new civil action for those aggrieved by the depraved acts of
   those who violate our child pornography laws.

Politech archive on "morphed" child porn laws:
http://www.politechbot.com/cgi-bin/politech.cgi?name=morphed

-Declan




-------------------------------------------------------------------------
POLITECH -- Declan McCullagh's politics and technology mailing list
You may redistribute this message freely if you include this notice.
To subscribe to Politech: http://www.politechbot.com/info/subscribe.html
This message is archived at http://www.politechbot.com/
Declan McCullagh's photographs are at http://www.mccullagh.org/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Like Politech? Make a donation here: http://www.politechbot.com/donate/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------