Internet Crimes Against Children Act gets bipartisan support
Madison — A bill that would create tougher penalties against pedophiles who use the Internet to target children, and would give greater protection for child pornography victims, authored by State Senator Julie Lassa (D-Stevens Point) and Representative Tony Staskunas (D-West Allis), was approved by both the Senate and Assembly judiciary committees today. The Internet Crimes Against Children Act, introduced in collaboration with Attorney General J. B. Van Hollen, passed both committees with broad bipartisan support.
“The Internet Crimes Against Children Act will create important new protections for children who are preyed upon by online predators and child pornographers,” Sen. Lassa said.
Senate Bill 56 and Assembly Bill 100 would allow prosecutors to seek maximum penalties in cases that arise from undercover investigations where the perpetrator is using the Internet to try to engage in sexual activity with a child. The bill also amends the criminal discovery statute to prevent inadvertent or intentional reproduction and further dissemination of child pornography images and video. The bill is modeled after a federal rule adopted in 2006. While increasing the security of these images, the bill maintains a defendant’s opportunity to fully present a defense to criminal charges.
“Regardless of whether a pedophile is caught by an undercover officer in a sting operation or actually makes online contact with a victim, their intent is the same – to have sexual contact with a child. Judges should be able to hand down the same punishment either way, and prevent these criminals from successfully preying on kids in the future, and that’s what this bill will do,” Sen. Lassa said.
“The bill will also protect child pornography victims by preventing child pornography held as evidence from being inadvertently or intentionally distributed. Child pornography will be treated the same way as drugs and other contraband. While defendants will still have access to it, it will remain in police custody,” she said.
Sen. Lassa originally introduced the Internet Crimes Against Children Act in 2010. The bill received broad bipartisan support but time ran out in the session before it could advance out of the legislature to the Governor’s desk.