May 3rd, 2007
New laws to require techs to report kiddie porn to cops - under penalty of law
In most states a range of professions are legally obligated to report suspicions of child abuse - doctors, therapists, those kinds of folks. Now computer technicians should expect to be added to the list.
The (Waterbury, CT) Republican American reports that at least five states — Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Carolina and South Dakota — currently require techs to report kiddie porn. Now Connecticut and California are considering legislation that would go a step further. In California, if techs are added to the list of mandatory reporters, they would face six months in jail and a $1,000 fine for failure to report.
"Computer usage is a very real part of our culture and daily activities," said New Britain Police Sgt. James P. Wardell. "Laws must change and evolve to reflect this ever-changing technological advancement."
The information clearly can make a difference. In New Britain, CT, police, alerted by a computer tech, uncovered photos and videotapes of young children being drugged and raped. The suspect was ultimately arrested and convicted of multiple offenses.
"In this case, the abuse and exploitation was stopped, but if no report had been made regarding the first image, then perhaps the abuse would have continued or even gotten worse," Wardell said.
Fair enough, but should computer workers face criminal consequences when their work has seemingly nothing to do with people's health and welfare?
"I'm not sure what evidence of child neglect or abuse might be on a computer, but it would most certainly be different, more ambiguous, than what could be experienced directly by a doctor, teacher or daycare worker," Michael Wendy of the Computing Technology Industry Association said.
