Child Pornography

Child Pornography
Ronda Harris
CJ 3318: Sex Crimes
Professor Mike Cannon
March 21, 2011

Abstract Child pornography is not solely a question of morality or artistic taste or political ideas. The primary concern is not how to protect the community from exposure to sexually explicit materials; rather the concern was how to protect innocent children from sexual abuse. A pedophile uses child pornography to convince him or her that their conduct or obsession is normal lower a child’s inhibitions and assist the seduction of a child, as blackmail for a child to prevent the child from revealing abuse. The Internet makes child pornography more accessible and validates pedophiles’ behavior in their minds.

What is child pornography? According to S.T. Holmes (2009) and R.M. Holmes (2009), child pornography is the use of underage children in various media for the purpose of sexual arousal of the viewer. Clearly, child pornography (sometimes called child porn or kiddie porn) has, as its primary function, some element of sexual arousal or fantasy. Child pornography is a picture of a child being in some sense sexually abused. Child pornography consists of photographs, videotapes, magazines, books, and films that depict children in sex acts, all of which are illegal. Jenkins (2001) found that sexually precocious young girls were portrayed in popular films such as Taxi Driver, Alice’s Restaurant, Night Moves, and Pretty Baby. Some magazines, such as Children-Love, Lolita, Lollitots, Nudist Moppets, and Bambina-Sex (Jenkins, 2001). Child pornography raises issues about the nature of adult sexual interest in children, sexual assaults on children, and sexual fantasy about children. The range of people involved in child pornography offenses seems to cross boundaries of class, income and profession. Pedophiles are not always adult males; women are also involved. Child pornography, we learned, were and are a massive industry in itself that systematically promotes abuse of children. According to Edwards (February 2000), child pornography involves a number of aspects: people who create pornographic materials using minor children (under the age of 18), those who distribute these materials, and those who access them. Individuals use child pornography for sexual gratification, for validation and justification of pedophiliac behavior, blackmail to ensure the lifelong silence of the child, as a medium exchange with other child pornographers, to gain access to other markets and children, for profit, to preserve a child’s youth and also to lower children’s inhibitions to get them to go along with sex.

A Pedophile Characteristics

What is a pedophile? A pedophile refers to an older person who experiences intense, recurring urges, fantasies, or behavior involving sexual activity with a child or children who have not yet reached puberty—usually younger than thirteen (Hyde & Forsyth, 1997, p. 24). A pedophile can be anyone—old or young, rich or poor, educated or uneducated, nonprofessional or professional, and of any race. A pedophile can be a male at least 17 years of age or older, female, single, married, bisexual, heterosexual, or homosexual. If married, the relationship is more “companion” based with no sexual relations and he is often vague about time gaps in employment, which may indicate a loss in employment for questionable reasons or possible past incarceration. A pedophile has distinct characteristics and their preferred sexual objects are children. He often has numerous victims and many claims to have abused hundreds or thousands of children. He tends to like children of a certain age and they typically do not deviate from their preferred age range. Many prefer girls that are too young to get pregnant and haven’t reached puberty. The pedophile will often be employed in a position that involves daily contact with children. If not employed, he will put himself in a position to do volunteer work with children, often in a supervisory capacity such as sports, coaching, contact sport instruction, unsupervised tutoring or a position where he has the opportunity to spend unsupervised time with a child. The pedophile often seeks out shy, handicapped, and withdrawn children or those who come from troubled homes or under privileged homes. He then showers them with attention, gifts, taunting them with trips to desirable places like amusement parks, zoo’s, concerts, the beach and other such places. Pedophile work to master their manipulative skills and often unleash them on troubled children by first is becoming their friend, building the child’s self esteem. They may refer to the child as special or mature, appealing to their need to be heard and understood then entice them with adult type activities that are often sexual in content such as X-rated movies or pictures. They offer them alcohol or drugs to hamper their ability to resist activities or recall events that occurred. Many times pedophiles will develop a close relationship with a single parent in order to get close to their children. Once inside the home, they have my opportunities to manipulate the children by using guilt, fear, and love to confuse the child. If the child’s parent works, it offers the pedophile the private time needed to abuse the child. Pedophiles work hard at stalking their targets and will patiently work to develop relationships with them. It is not uncommon for them to be developing a long list of potential victims at any one time. Many of them believe that what they are doing is not wrong and that having sex with a child is actually “healthy” for the child.

How Child Pornography is used on the Internet

The creation and development of every new technology brings with it exciting opportunities and challenges. Computers and the Internet have become and everyday necessity. It is seen as a tool for education, research, communication, entertainment and recreational purposes and for business. Children have been exposed to the use of these new technologies from an early age. Indeed, children spend a large part of their daily lives in the virtual world. They use the Internet to communicate with their peers using Instant Messenger, chat and email, play interactive games, download music and movies, do their homework and perform other activities. Online pornography can also be located, obtained, and viewed entirely from a private home. The growth of Internet access and usage has inevitably led to an unprecedented increase of Internet sex crimes against children. These crimes include the use of the Internet to transmit sexual material to children, to lure children for purposes of sexual contact or for the production, distribution and possession of child pornography. For the curious child this is sufficient for the child to begin his or her exploration. Once a child enters a site, he or she may be enticed into not being able to leave. Attempts to leave the site usually fails and the child will be led back to the same site or other pornographic sites. Pop up advertisements and peer-to-peer file sharing via online chat rooms and newsgroups are also popular means of attracting and diverting a child’s attention. Chat room’s appeal to children because they allow communication with many people of like interest in real time. For the pedophile, chatting online enables him to identify a naïve or vulnerable child to initiate and develop a relationship with to a point where the child is able to confide and trust the pedophile. The pedophile may then move to sexualize the contact by persuading the child to perform or photograph sexual acts or participate in one.

The Sexual Abuse

Sexual abuse is defined as forcing or enticing a child or young person to take part in sexual activities, whether or not the child is aware of what is happening (Sanderson, 2004). A person who compels or encourages a child to engage in sexual conduct commits abuse, and it is against the law to make or possess child pornography or to display such material to a child. Child sexual abuse could include fondling, lewd or lascivious exposure or behavior, intercourse, child pornography, and any other sexual conduct harmful to a child’s mental, emotional, or physical welfare. These acts may be forced upon the child or the child may be coaxed, seduced, and persuaded to cooperate. For many people, an allegation or disclosure of sexual abuse is indeed hard to accept. This particularly is true when the perpetrator is a family member or an otherwise law-abiding, respectable, and seemingly nice, normal person. A very young child cannot understand why becoming involved in sexual activity with an adult is harmful; especially if the adult is trusted has not been violent (Hyde & Forsyth, 1997, p. 44). Many adults have a tendency to overlook, discount, minimize, explain away, or simply disbelieve allegations of sexual abuse. Children rarely lie or invent stories on their own about being sexually abused. The very existence of child porn is considered contraband or illegal because the very act of photographing a child in any sexual content is abusive. Child pornography is degrading. It humiliates children and teaches them immaturity, immorality and damaging roles about themselves.

Conclusion

The single issue most clearly to emerge is the fact that child pornography can have a variety of functions for individuals who collect, produce and distribute it. The Internet certainly makes child pornography more accessible and ease of access presumably means that psychological barriers such as inhibitions or fear of exposure are less effective limiting access. Child pornography can be placed in the same category with other destructive habits and traps. A child portrayed in child pornography is first victimized when there is abuse is perpetrated and recorded. Successive laws have passed to regulate child pornography. Today, every state and the federal government have laws that prescribe penalties against those who exploit children sexually. References
Edwards, S. M. (2000). Prosecuting 'child pornography ': Possession and taking of indecent photographs of children. Journal of Social Welfare & Family Law, 22(1), 1-21. doi:10.1080/014180300362732

Holmes, S. & Holmes, R. (2009). Sex crimes: patterns and behavior. Sage Publications, Inc.

Hyde, M. O., & Forsyth, E. H. (1997). The sexual abuse of children and adolescents. Brookfield, Conn: Millbrook Press.

Jenkins, P. (2003). Beyond tolerance: Child pornography on the Internet. New York [u.a: New York Univ. Press.

Sanderson, C. (2004). The seduction of children: Empowering parents and teachers to protect children from child sexual abuse. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

References: Edwards, S. M. (2000). Prosecuting 'child pornography ': Possession and taking of indecent photographs of children. Journal of Social Welfare & Family Law, 22(1), 1-21. doi:10.1080/014180300362732 Holmes, S. & Holmes, R. (2009). Sex crimes: patterns and behavior. Sage Publications, Inc. Hyde, M. O., & Forsyth, E. H. (1997). The sexual abuse of children and adolescents. Brookfield, Conn: Millbrook Press. Jenkins, P. (2003). Beyond tolerance: Child pornography on the Internet. New York [u.a: New York Univ. Press. Sanderson, C. (2004). The seduction of children: Empowering parents and teachers to protect children from child sexual abuse. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.