What is Child Pornography? Violating Federal Law at WELS Headquarters - But Hochmuth Not Fired?

What is Child Pornography?:

http://www.wels.net/spiritual-help/my-life-issues/homosexuality?page=0,0

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rlschultz has left a new comment on your post "The Olde Synodical Conference Can Stop Blaming the...":

At my place of employment, viewing porn on company computers will find you on the outside looking in very quickly. Many private businesses are more ethical and moral than some church denominations. I gathered from the TV news report that the investigation is not over. There are leaving the door open for any possible victims to come forward and also anyone else who may have had contact. The WELS way does not cut it with prosecutors and law enforcement. If only the WELS leadership had been as forthright with their members in the past as President Schroeder promises to be with secular authorities, Ichabod might have fewer daily page reads.

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What is Child Pornography? Under federal law (18 U.S.C. §2256), child pornography1 is defined as any visual depiction, including any photograph, film, video, picture, or computer or computer-generated image or picture, whether made or produced by electronic, mechanical, or other means, of sexually explicit conduct, where   the production of the visual depiction involves the use of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct; or the visual depiction is a digital image, computer image, or computer-generated image that is, or is indistinguishable from, that of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct; or the visual depiction has been created, adapted, or modified to appear that an identifiable minor is engaging in sexually explicit conduct.   Federal law (18 U.S.C. §1466A) also criminalizes knowingly producing, distributing, receiving, or possessing with intent to distribute, a visual depiction of any kind, including a drawing, cartoon, sculpture or painting, that depicts a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct and is obscene, or depicts an image that is, or appears to be, of a minor engaging in graphic bestiality, sadistic or masochistic abuse, or sexual intercourse, including genital-genital, oral-genital, anal-genital, or oral-anal, whether between persons of the same or opposite sex and such depiction lacks serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value. Sexually explicit conduct is defined under federal law (18 U.S.C. §2256) as actual or simulated sexual intercourse (including genital-genital, oral-genital, anal-genital, or oral-anal, whether between persons of the same or opposite sex), bestiality, masturbation, sadistic or masochistic abuse, or lascivious exhibition of the genitals or pubic area of any person. Who Is a Minor? For purposes of enforcing the federal law (18 U.S.C. §2256), “minor” is defined as a person under the age of 18. Is Child Pornography a Crime? Yes, it is a federal crime to knowingly possess, manufacture, distribute, or access with intent to view child pornography (18 U.S.C. §2252).  In addition, all 50 states and the District of Columbia have laws criminalizing the possession, manufacture, and distribution of child pornography.  As a result, a person who violates these laws may face federal and/or state charges.   Where Is Child Pornography Predominantly Found? Child pornography exists in multiple formats including print media, videotape, film, CD-ROM, or DVD.  It is transmitted on various platforms within the Internet including newsgroups, Internet Relay Chat (chatrooms), Instant Message, File Transfer Protocol, e-mail, websites, and peer-to-peer technology. What Motivates People Who Possess Child Pornography? Limited research about the motivations of people who possess child pornography suggests that child pornography possessors are a diverse group, including people who are sexually interested in prepubescent children or young adolescents, who use child pornography for sexual fantasy and gratification sexually “indiscriminate,” meaning they are constantly looking for new and different sexual stimuli sexually curious, downloading a few images to satisfy that curiosity interested in profiting financially by selling images or setting up web sites requiring payment for access2 Who Possesses Child Pornography? It is difficult to describe a “typical” child pornography possessor because there is not just one type of person who commits this crime.  In a study of 1,713 people arrested for the possession of child pornography in a 1-year period, the possessors ran the gamut in terms of income, education level, marital status, and age.  Virtually all of those who were arrested were men, 91% were white, and most were unmarried at the time of their crime, either because they had never married (41%) or because they were separated, divorced, or widowed (21%).3 Forty percent (40%) of those arrested were “dual offenders,” who sexually victimized children and possessed child pornography, with both crimes discovered in the same investigation. An additional 15% were dual offenders who attempted to sexually victimize children by soliciting undercover investigators who posed online as minors.4 Who Produces Child Pornography? Based on information provided by law enforcement to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children's Child Victim Identification Program, more than half of the child victims were abused by someone who had legitimate access to them such as parents, other relatives, neighborhood/family friends, babysitters, and coaches.  What is the Nature of These Images? The content in these illegal images varies from exposure of genitalia to graphic sexual abuse, such as penetration by objects, anal penetration, and bestiality. Of the child pornography victims identified by law enforcement, 42% appear to be pubescent, 52% appear to be prepubescent, and 6% appear to be infants or toddlers. What Are the Effects of Child Pornography on the Child Victim? It is important to realize that these images are crime scene photos – they are a permanent record of the abuse of a child. The lives of the children featured in these illegal images and videos are forever altered. Once these images are on the Internet, they are irretrievable and can continue to circulate forever. The child is revictimized as the images are viewed again and again. End Notes 1 As stated by Janis Wolak, Kimberly Mitchell, and David Finkelhor in Internet Sex Crimes Against Minors: The Response of Law Enforcement (Alexandria, Virginia: National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, November 2003, page vii), “The term ‘child pornography,’ because it implies simply conventional pornography with child subjects, is an inappropriate term to describe the true nature and extent of sexually exploitive images of child victims. Use of this term should not be taken to imply that children ‘consented’ to the sexual acts depicted in these photographs; however, it is the term most readily recognized by the public, at this point in time, to describe this form of child sexual exploitation. It is used in this [document] to refer to illegal pictorial material involving children under the standards developed by statute, case law, and law-enforcement-agency protocols. It is hoped a more accurate term will be recognized, understood, and accepted for use in the near future.” 2 Janis Wolak, David Finkelhor, and Kimberly Mitchell.  Child-Pornography Possessors Arrested in Internet-Related Crimes: Findings From the National Juvenile Online Victimization Study (Alexandria, Virginia: National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, 2005, page  x) citing Eva J. Klain, Heather J. Davies, Molly A. Hicks.  Child Pornography: The Criminal-Justice-System Response (Alexandria, Virginia: National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, March 2001) and M. Taylor and E. Quayle. Child pornography: An Internet crime. Hove: Brunner-Routledge, 2003. 3 Id., pages 1-3. 4 Id., page viii.

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US Department of Justice

By the mid-1980's, the trafficking of child pornography within the United States had been almost completely eradicated through a series of successful campaigns waged by law enforcement. Child pornographers had become lonely and hunted individuals. Producing child abuse images was both difficult and expensive, and reproducing images was equally difficult and expensive. Purchasing and trading such images was extremely risky. Anonymous distribution and receipt was not possible and it was difficult for pedophiles to find and interact with each other. Unfortunately, technology has changed the situation.

Producing child abuse images has now become easy and inexpensive. The Internet allows images and digitized movies to be reproduced and disseminated to tens of thousands of individuals at the click of a button. The distribution and receipt of such images can be done almost anonymously. As a result, child pornography is readily available through virtually every Internet technology (web sites, email, instant messaging/ICQ, Internet Relay Chat (IRC), newsgroups/bulletin boards, and peer-to-peer). The technological ease, lack of expense, and anonymity in obtaining and distributing child pornography has resulted in an explosion in the availability, accessibility, and volume of child pornography.

CEOS works with the 93 United States Attorney offices around the country and investigative agencies to vigorously combat this growing problem. By maintaining a coordinated, national-level law enforcement focus, including coordinating nationwide and international investigations and prosecutions, CEOS works to deter the production, distribution and possession of child pornography by aggressively investigating and prosecuting of these crimes. Additionally, CEOS works with law enforcement to identify victims used to produce child pornography with the goal of rescuing the victims and preventing continued abuse of these children.

Reporting Child Pornography

To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt, or production of child pornography, go to the website operated by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). Your report will be forwarded to a law enforcement agency for investigation and action.