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Bill To Help Child Porn Victims Is On Tallahassee's Agenda

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By JOSH POLTILOVE | The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 18, 2008

TAMPA - Florida lawmakers and state Attorney General Bill McCollum will discuss legislation Tuesday morning designed to help child pornography victims.

The bill would grant victims rights in court proceedings and a civil remedy to file suit against people who continue to abuse and exploit them, attorney general's office spokeswoman Sandi Copes wrote today in an e-mail to the Tribune.

The Adam Walsh Act created a law allowing victims the same rights federally, but there is no similar law in any state, she wrote.

The Florida bill helps victims in other ways as well, Copes wrote.

"It also allows the Attorney General's Office to pursue these cases on behalf of the victims upon their request," she wrote. "Currently, because this crime is often referred to as a 'victimless' crime, victims of child pornography are unable to seek any remedy for the possession and distribution of images of their sexual molestation which are used in child pornography.

"Florida's legislation would also improve technology allowing victims to be notified and kept informed about pending cases."

Sen. Paula Dockery, R-Lakeland, and Rep. David Rivera, R-Miami, filed the bill this year. Along with McCollum, they will speak about the child pornography bill in Tallahassee on Tuesday. The director of the attorney general's CyberCrime Unit and a special agent with the state Department of Law Enforcement also will speak.

Reporter Josh Poltilove can be reached at jpoltilove@tampatrib.com or (813) 259-7691.

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