NCOSE
April 3, 2017

Action Alert: Ask the DOJ to Enforce the Law

Did you know that existing federal obscenity laws prohibit the distribution of hardcore, obscene pornography on the Internet, on cable/satellite or hotel/motel TV and in sexually oriented businesses or other retail shops?

I was once in charge of enforcing these laws for the U. S. Department of Justice and I know how effective they can be!

The idea that distributing hardcore pornography is actually illegal may seem unbelievable to some but that’s because obscenity laws have been unenforced for over 8 years!

Enforcing obscenity laws would significantly stem the current public health crisis caused by pornography. Right now, children across America are being unintentionally exposed to pornography, and research shows that pornography is linked to neurological harms in children – and adults – and to sexual exploitation of children, to increased violence against women, and to increased porn-induced sexual dysfunction, as well as a host of other ills.

If obscenity laws had been routinely enforced over the past decade, I know that we would not be facing the degree of harm that we currently are experiencing in America.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions has agreed to enforce federal laws prohibiting the distribution of obscene pornography but he needs our help and strong support. He and his staff need to know that America will stand with them for the sake of our families and for our country once they start prosecuting illegal pornography distributors.

Will you tell Attorney General Sessions that you will stand with him against the porn distributors on the Internet and elsewhere?

Call to Action:

Please email Attorney General Sessions’ team here, to thank him for his commitment to enforcing obscenity laws, and to encourage him to take swift action.

 

The law is a great teacher, and I believe obscenity law enforcement could be a great asset to our movement to defend dignity!

Patrick A. Trueman

President

Patrick Trueman serves as president of the National Center on Sexual Exploitation.  He spearheads efforts to address the intersectionality between all forms of sexual exploitation, including the public health crisis of pornography, the demand for commercial sexual exploitation, the abuse of children, and more. Under his leadership, NCOSE has produced policy improvements at a wide range of notable institutions, including Google, Wal-Mart, the Department of Justice, Verizon, the Federal Communications Commission, and more.

In 2015, Mr. Trueman, a lawyer for more than 40 years, established the organization’s Law Center, to influence the law and our courts to ensure the values of human dignity are represented.

Patrick Trueman is a former Chief of the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Criminal Division at the U. S. Department of Justice from 1988 to 1993. While there, he supervised the prosecution of child sex crimes, child pornography, and obscenity, managing an office of prosecutors and working with the nation’s ninety-three United States Attorneys to initiate and coordinate federal prosecutions.

During his years as a lawyer, he litigated cases at all levels of the federal system, including in the United States Supreme Court. He has been an advisor to many municipalities on First Amendment law and has helped draft ordinances to end or curb the impact of sexually oriented businesses such as pornography shops, strip clubs, and related establishments. A recognized international expert, Mr. Trueman has traveled throughout the world to speak about human trafficking and the harms of sexual exploitation.

Mr. Trueman lives just outside Washington, D.C., and is married to Laura Clay Trueman. Laura and Pat Trueman have three children.

 

 

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