This manual was prepared by the National Law Center for Children and Families. A grant for this project was provided by the Alliance Defense Fund. Additional acknowledgements of contributors to this project can be found on page three within the manual. Hard copies of this manual may be purchased through the National Law Center for Children and Families.

Preface

This Manual is designed as an educational tool to aid law enforcement in understanding and successfully investigating and prosecuting crimes involving child pornography and child sexual exploitation. It is anticipated that primarily investigators and prosecutors of cases involving child pornography or child sexual exploitation will use the material presented herein. The emphasis in this Manual has been placed on the questions of law involved in such cases and focuses on the most common fundamental and generic issues involving Constitutional, statutory, and case law arising in connection with such investigations and prosecutions. It is meant to have practical application in contemporary American legal practice, and does not constitute a comprehensive treatment of the psychological, sociological, historical, political, or international law issues involved.

This Manual has been prepared for educational and information purposes only. It does not constitute legal advice or legal opinion on any specific matter. Dissemination or transmission of the information contained herein is not intended to create, and receipt does not constitute, a lawyer-client relationship between the National Law Center for Children and Families® (NLC) its board, employees or agents and the Reader. The Reader should not act upon this information without seeking professional counsel. No person should act or fail to act on any legal matter based on the contents of this Manual. Any views expressed in this Manual are those of the contributing authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editor, employees, staff, officers or board of directors of NLC.

In an effort to make this Manual more useful as a contemporary research tool, reference has been made to information that was available “online“ via the Internet at the time of editing this Manual. The Reader is cautioned that URLs frequently change. With the exception of the NLC web site at http://www.nationallawcenter.org, the Reader is advised that NLC does not have supervision or control over any Internet URL or web site referenced herein. By the time of publication, information referenced herein may no longer be available online or at the URL specifically cited. Further, any reference to a specific Internet URL or web site does not constitute an endorsement by NLC of the accuracy or truthfulness of the information contained at the referenced URL or web site, and is not an endorsement of the URL page or Web site itself, or a representation that NLC has any supervision or control over, or is in any way responsible for the referenced URL, web site, or their sponsoring organization. The Reader is specifically advised that persons access Internet sites “online” at their own risk, and therefore individual caution must be exercised when accessing sites “online.” Some “online” files can contain viruses or otherwise be harmful to your computer. NLC has no way of knowing and therefore makes no representations that any URL or web site referred to herein contains files which are in fact from a trustworthy source. Further, NLC is not responsible for and does not necessarily endorse any information, material or file which may be “linked” to any specifically cited URL or web site referenced herein.

Suggestions for improvement and updating of the text are appreciated and should be addressed to the National Law Center for Children and Families®, P.O. Box 19232, Alexandria, Virginia 22320 or by email to seminars@nationallawcenter.org.

The Editors

NATIONAL LAW CENTER FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES
Alexandria, VA
May 7, 2006