NLC Applauds U.S. Supreme Court Ruling

NLC Applauds U.S. Supreme Court Ruling

in Child Pornography Promotion Case

Court upholds criminal penalties for "pandering" illegal material

ALEXANDRIA, Va. - May 19, 2008 - The National Law Center for Children and Families (NLC), a national nonprofit organization dedicated to combating child sexual exploitation, applauds today's Supreme Court ruling as a victory in the fight to protect children.

The 7-2 ruling in United States v. Williams upheld provisions of the PROTECT Act of 2003 that had been struck down in 2006 by the 11^th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The case focused on the legality of promoting or "pandering" child pornography independent of possessing such materials.

"Today's ruling is an important win for families, particularly for those directly impacted by the horrors of child exploitation," said Richard R. Whidden, Jr., Executive Director of the NLC. "The Court correctly said that ‘offers to provide or request to obtain child pornography are categorically excluded from the First Amendment' and this is an important ruling in favor of law enforcement and prosecutors' efforts to defend children from exploitation."

The Williams case involved an individual soliciting federal law enforcement in a computer chat room to exchange child pornography. Williams' home was later searched, yielding several illegal images. Williams was convicted and sentenced to five years in prison for possessing child pornography. The Supreme Court ruling did not challenge this conviction.

"Every week, new images of child pornography are uploaded to the Internet," Whidden said. "We know this evil is driven by demand, and child pornographers build demand through promotion and solicitation. Today's ruling is a confident step by the Court to ensure prosecutors have a valid law to curtail the demand of child predators who pander their wares to other predators."

About the NLC

The National Law Center for Children and Families is a nonprofit organization headquartered in Alexandria, Va. It is a leading source for experienced assistance and training in the law enforcement and legal profession's efforts to defend children from sexual exploitation. Information on the National Law Center's programs can be found on our Web site located at www.nationallawcenter.org.

Media Contact:

David Hlavac

Haberman & Associates

612.338.3900

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NLC Contact:

Richard R. Whidden, Jr.

Executive Director

National Law Center

(703) 548-5522

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NLC Announces In-Kind Donation From Rimage

Disc publishing leader to provide duplication services for NLC training DVDs

ALEXANDRIA, Va. - April 26, 2008 - The National Law Center for Children and Families (NLC) is proud to announce an in-kind donation of services from Rimage Corporation, a leading manufacturer of on-demand disc publishing solutions. Rimage has agreed to donate DVD duplication services to the National Law Center, which will distribute training DVDs for prosecutors and law enforcement officers as they combat child sexual exploitation.

Since June, 2006, the National Law Center has trained nearly 1000 law enforcement professionals and prosecutors on child sexual exploitation crimes in seminars from coast to coast. In an effort to provide this valuable information to these public servants, the NLC recorded its training program last summer. The Rimage donation of services will help NLC eliminate disc duplication expenses and will enable the organization to distribute more training DVDs this year.

"Rimage is pleased to support the National Law Center in its efforts to educate law enforcement and prosecutors across the nation who defend children and families," said Kevin Gramer, director of government sales for Rimage. "It's rewarding to know we are helping to combat crimes against children."

"We are grateful for Rimage's support as we continue our work defending children across the country," said Richard R. Whidden, Jr., NLC Executive Director. "We thank Rimage for its generous contribution and look forward to an ongoing and productive relationship."

Since 1978, Rimage Corporation (www.rimage.com) has been the world's leading innovator of recordable media publishing solutions. Rimage was the first in the industry to combine robotics, software and surface label printers into a complete digital publishing process. Today, Rimage systems can be found all over the world, serving 67 of the Fortune 100 companies.

The National Law Center for Children and Families is a non-profit corporation headquartered in Alexandria, Va. It is the source for experienced assistance and training in the law enforcement and legal profession's efforts to defend children from sexual exploitation. Information on the National Law Center's programs can be found on our website located at www.nationallawcenter.org.

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