News Release

Washington, DC – Idaho Senator Mike Crapo is co-sponsoring a Senate bill tightening the laws against child pornography and the exploitation of children. S. 2140, the Protecting Children from Exploitation Act sponsored by Senator Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), strengthens several laws surrounding pornographic material, including a provision that requires producers maintain records detailing the ages and names of persons appearing in such material.

Crapo says the bill, which already has 26 co-sponsors, is needed because the U.S. Department of Justice has encountered problems in prosecuting distributors of child pornography. Justice officials say those producing such material are using loopholes in the law the new act is intended to close.

S. 2140 would criminalize the refusal to permit inspection of name and age records of performers in material which depicts actual or simulated sexually explicit conduct. It would also update existing statutes to take into account use of the Internet to distribute such pornography.

“The connection between viewing child pornography and becoming a child predator is also strong and conclusive,” Crapo said. “The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children revealed, in a study from June of last year, that 40% of those arrested for possessing child pornography had also victimized children. The increased regulation and requirements in S. 2140 will make Idaho’s children safer.”

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