U.S. Supreme Court Upholds Law To Fight Child Pornography
May 19, 2008
Washington (ChattahBox) – The U.S. Supreme Court upheld a 2003 federal law provision which makes it legal to prosecute those who promote pr present child pornography in any manner.
The U.S. Supreme Court voted 7-2 in favor of upholding the law in the case of the U.S. vs. Williams, which makes it a crime to promote child pornography in any manner.
The ruling was against a Florida man named Michael Williams, who was arrested in 2004 after talking over the Internet with an undercover federal agent, who he believed was a woman. He offered to trade images depicting child pornography with the federal agent, and also posted child pornography images on the Internet.
Back in 2003, President George W. Bush signed the child pornography ruling into law following a change to a 2002 version of the law which was turned down by the Supreme Court.
The child pornography law was ruled as going against free speech by a U.S. appeals court, which forced it to originally get shot down. This was overturned with today’s ruling.
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Opposition to the law stated that one part of it was unconstitutional, infringing on free-speech and other rights. The argument was also that it was simply too broad, which was also turned down.
The child pornography law provision bans any type of promotion, distribution, etc. of illegal child pornography. Violation of the law comes with a minimum of five-years in prison.
The law gives federal authorities the right to prosecute those who sell or trade child pornography.
Williams has been convicted of one count of promoting child pornography, and one count of possessing.
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