7th Circuit: Restitution to child porn victims owed by possessors is less than amounts owed by distributors
U.S. v. Laraneta, No. 12-1302 (7th Cir. Nov. 14, 2012) (Opinion by Posner joined by Williams and Sykes)
The court held that a possessor of child porn images is not jointly liable for the total amount of restitution owed to victims by distributors of such images, because the amount of harm caused by possession is less than that caused by distribution. The Court also held that there is no right of intervention for child porn victims where claims of restitution are denied, but rather the appropriate remedy is to seek mandamus at the court of appeals pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 3771(d)(3).
WA: Federal Judge Ties Up Online Sex-Advertising Law
WIRED: A federal judge pre-emptively blocked a landmark state law that would have required online companies to verify the ages of people in ads offering “adult services,” which range from thinly-veiled ads for prostitution, as well as legal, but kinky services. | Backpage v. McKenna, No. C12-954-RSM (W.D. Wash.)
Utah appeals court: View “legal” pornography can be considered sentencing factor
At The Volokh Conspiracy , Eugene Volokh comments on a Utah sentencing ruling which holds that viewing “legal” pornography can be considered as a factor at sentencing. It seems one of the most critical factors in these cases may be the nature of the underlying offense for which the defendant is being sentenced. | State v. Epling, (Utah. Ct. App. July 21, 2011)
Children first experience online porn at age 11, study finds
“On average, a child will have their first experience with online porn at age 11. That’s just one of the statistics on Internet porn compiled this week by the business blog Online MBA.”
Gail Dines: Living in a porn culture
Living in a porn culture
New Left Project, Alex Doherty, 4.15.,2010
“The question I pose in Pornland is, what does it mean to grow up in a society where the average age of first viewing porn is 11 for boys, and where girls are being inundated with images of themselves as wannabe porn stars?”
Rebecca Hagelin: Web 2.0 runs wild
Rebecca Hagelin writing in the Washington Times: “Your child no longer has to be ‘bound’ at a desk in front of a computer screen to have the world — and everyone in it — at his or her fingertips. Every day, children who visit interactive sites interact with strangers. And, more and more often, homespun Internet porn has been appearing everywhere from the school bus to the back seat of Mom’s minivan.”
Pamela Paul: The cost of growing up on porn
Pamela Paul, author of Porn Generation, writing at the Washington Post: “An entire generation is being kept in the dark about pornography’s effects because previous generations can’t grapple with the new reality. Whether by approaching me (at the risk of peer scorn) after I’ve spoken at a university or via anonymous e-mails, young people continue to pass along an unpopular message: Growing up on porn is terrible. One 17-year-old who had given up his habit told me that reading about porn addicts ‘was like reading a horrifying old diary, symptoms, downward spirals, guilt, hypocrisy, lack of control, and the constant question of to what degree fantasy is really so different from reality. I felt like a criminal, or at the very least, a person who would objectively disgust me.’”
UK Home Office report: Sexualisation of Young People Review
Sexualisation of Young People Review: “This review looks at how sexualised images and messages may be affecting the development of children and young people and influencing cultural norms, and examines the evidence for a link between sexualisation and violence.”
Cambodia: “As if they were watching my body”
“The data from each project have shown that a significant percentage of Cambodian boys and girls are exposed to hard-core pornography—and it must be stressed that the pornography with which this report is concerned is extremely hard-core. Moreover, there are now more avenues of exposure than in the past. Technological advances have made the distribution and copying of pornographic materials increasingly easy.”
Effects of cybersex addiction on the family: Results of a survey
“A brief survey was completed by 91 women and 3 men, aged 24-57, who had experienced serious adverse consequences of their partner’s cybersex involvement. In 60.6% of cases the sexual activities were limited to cybersex and did not include offline sex. Although not specifically asked about this, 31% of partners volunteered that the cybersex activities were a continuation of pre-existing compulsive sexual behaviors.”
