Posted by: Frederick Lane
on 12 October 2009
Over the weekend, the Anchorage Daily News reported that Alaska legislators are considering amending the state's child pornography law to include sexually-explicit drawings and cartoons of children. Despite some constitutional concerns raised by free speech activists, the idea has the support of Alaska House Judiciary Committee chair Jay Ramras (R-Fairbanks).
Posted by: Frederick Lane
on 18 September 2009
The issue of 'sexting' -- teenagers taking and distributing nude and seminude photos of themselves and friends -- has garnered a great deal of attention recently. As many people have noted, the activity exposes children to the possibility of lengthy stays on state sex offender registries. Earlier this year, Vermont became one of the first states to look at whether changes should be made to state criminal statutes to reduce or even decriminalize sexting for teens. After considerable debate both in-state and nationally, the legislature decided to retain criminal penalties for the activity, but redirected most cases to juvenile court.
Posted by: Frederick Lane
on 04 September 2009
Charges that Isaac Owusu, an 18-year-old former South Burlington (Vt.) High School student, pressured two female fellow students into sending him explicit cellphone photos and videos were dropped yesterday as part of a plea agreement with state prosecutors. Owusu plead guilty to two counts of prohibited acts and one count of lascivious conduct.
Posted by: Frederick Lane
on 04 May 2009
The SANS ComputerForensics and e-Discovery blog is reporting that at the urging of the North Carolina Private Protective Services Board, the North Carolina legislature is considering a bill that would require "digital forensic examiners" to be licensed as private investigators.
Posted by: Frederick Lane
on 09 January 2009
Washington state attorney general Rob McKenna (R) announced a package of laws on Wednesday that he will be submitting to the state's lawmakers. Included is a proposal that would make it a felony to view child pornography.
McKenna told reporters that the new law is needed to keep children safe. "While not every user of child pornography is a pedophile - yet," McKenna said, "every pedophile is a user of child pornography."
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