May 13, 2008

Justice for Children sends news about an appeals case from San Diego that once again shows why it is so important for local law enforcement to aggressively investigate child pornography. The case, Yvonne A. v. David L. from the Fourth Appellate District, concerns custody of two young children. Their mother, a military veteran and former meth user, left them in her father's care.

"Five months later..." the court opinion states, "the San Diego Police Department began investigating Grandfather for possession of child pornography. The investigation was triggered when Grandfather left his briefcase in a restaurant across the street from the... courthouse." Subsequent investigation revealed photographs of the grandfather engaging in sex acts with a girl who appeared to be 11 to 14 years old. Investigators then found sex toys left in the drawers of the children, ages 6 and 8, as well as other evidence of what a law enforcement expert called "grooming" of the two children.

But as happens in family courts all over the U.S. every day, a family court services counselor "recommended that the children remain with the Grandparents on the condition that the Grandparents participate in counseling for sexual boundary issues." She also recommended "relapse prevention treatment" for the mother.

The court ordered the children to be returned to their mother immediately.

May 12, 2008

If a person in California and another in New York send child pornography back and forth over the Internet, should one be guilty of a felony and the other a misdemeanor? What if their victim is the same child?

The recent federal case of San Francisco talk show host Bernie Ward highlights the sometimes dramatic disparities in child exploitation laws from state to state... and between the states and federal law. Ward, a former priest and Congressional staffer, accepted a plea deal to serve five years in federal prison. Had he been prosecuted under state law, he could have been charged with a mere misdemeanor.

Though it is taking a while to sink in with traditional human rights advocates, child pornography trafficking is a major human rights crisis. And the right of children not to be treated as sexual commodities should be the same everywhere. The Bernie Ward case is another reminder that America needs uniform laws against child pornography and all child exploitation.

May 09, 2008

Cesar Mojica Carmona beat and deprived his three young children so badly that they will suffer permanent physical, developmental and emotional damage, experts say. But the 24 year-old and his lawyers asked the court for understanding. Mojica Carmona was convicted of breaking the children's bones, biting, starving and brutalizing them until their speech and growth was stunted. But his lawyers say he is below-average in intelligence and "very childlike" himself. That could explain why corrections officers found knives "contraband tattoo ink and home-brewed alcohol" in his jail cell, along with gang-related drawings. On Monday, Mojica Carmona was found guilty on 14 counts of child abuse, and a Texas jury sentenced him not to probation... but to 14 consecutive life sentences.

May 08, 2008

PROTECT wishes a Happy Birthday to actor and PROTECT warrior David Keith. The "man with the flaming sword," who has led the charge for child protection legislation from Nashville to Washington, is a very young 54 today.

May 06, 2008

A State Auditor's report on "Sex Offender Placement" has been shaking things up in California. Among its findings: 49 registered sex offenders living in child-serving facilities licensed by the State. There's much more to the report. You can read the summary here, or the full report here (PDF).

May 05, 2008

The Denver Post has just published a devastating portrait of Colorado's child protection system by reporter Karen Auge. The paper reports the following indicator of the value communities actually place on protecting children.

Recent Denver Job Openings

Therapist for abused or neglected kids
Requirements: Master's degree; licensed social worker; willing to work late nights, weekends and holidays
Starting salary: $42,153

Solid-waste supervisor
Requirements: High-school diploma or equivalent, three years experience in garbage collection.
Starting salary: $43,996

May 02, 2008

Alice S. Fisher, Assistant Attorney General in the Justice Department's Criminal Division has announced she is leaving. Fisher was one of the first high level officials of the Bush Administration to publicly admit the shocking magnitude of child pornography trafficking in the United States. She told a House Energy and Commerce Committee in 2006 that there are "hundreds of thousands" of individuals in the U.S. engaged in child pornography crimes. An official Justice Department press release says "Ms. Fisher has served in [her] position for nearly three years, making her one of the longest serving Assistant Attorneys General in recent Criminal Division history."

May 01, 2008

From today's New York Times: "China said Wednesday that it had broken up a child labor ring that provided children from poor, inland areas with work in booming coastal cities, acknowledging that severe labor abuses extended into the heart of its export economy.... [Chinese newspaper Southern Metropolis Daily] did not identify the coastal factories where the children worked, but the report said that one was a toy factory in Dongguan and that it had not been difficult for the journalists to uncover..."

Apr 30, 2008

Millions of American parents are scrambling this week (we hope) to explain to their pre-teen daughters why 15-year old Miley Cyrus--better known as Disney's Hannah Montana--is appearing partially-undressed and posed sexually in Vanity Fair magazine. Vanity Fair, which didn't cater to young girl readers last we checked, is even peddling a video entitled, "Behind-the-scenes video from the Miley Cyrus shoot," which the magazine titles "Sweet Niblets." The video contains excerpts from a disturbing, sexualized scene on the set with her father and promoter Billy Ray Cyrus.

Meanwhile, the corporate interests making a living off the Cyrus child are in turmoil... not over the welfare of a 15-year old or her impressionable fans, but over the marketing of their "product." Disney, who created the "Hannah Montana" franchise (a multi-million dollar media juggernaut) is now concerned about the emergence of a post-Disney Miley Cyrus. "Unfortunately..." Disney spokewoman Patti McTeague is quoted by the New York Times with this gem: "a situation was created to deliberately manipulate a 15-year old in order to sell magazines." And Gary Marsh, the president of entertainment for Disney Channel Worldwide, cuts to the chase: "For Miley Cyrus to be a 'good girl' is now a business decision for her."

If there's anyone over 13 who thinks Disney has the best interests of children like Miley Cyrus (or their children) at heart, we remind them of what Paul Yanover, managing director of Disney Online, had to say last year when the company launched Disney XD, widely called "MySpace for pre-teens." "I want tons of kids immersed in my brands and franchises."

Update 5/1/08: While Disney executives publicly lecture young Miley Cyrus on being a "good girl," it's worth remembering what they had to say to another Disney profitmaker, predatory pedophile Victor Salva: nothing. Salva was convicted in the late 80's of sexually abusing a 12-year old boy (and videotaping the assault) while making the horror movie, Clownhouse. Disney then hired Salva to direct another film, Powder, leading to protests from the victim and others. The whole outrageous story, including Disney's repeated "no comments," can be read here.

Apr 28, 2008

PROTECT will be back in Sacramento today, when national board member Alison Arngrim joins Assemblymember Kathleen Galgiani for a press conference at the Capitol. Galgiani is sponsoring legislation to make computer technicians mandated reporters if they find evidence of illegal child sexual abuse images or movies on computers. Unbelievably, similar legislation was introduced in the California legislature last year and failed. Galgiani, who is considered a moderate Democrat, is a leading advocate in the legislature on crime victims and child protection issues. She represents the area around Stockton, in California's Central Valley.