| NLC Applauds U.S. Supreme Court Ruling |
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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 11th 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.
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