Paroline v. United States upholds rights for victims of child porn
The victim was sexually abused as a young girl in order to produce child pornography. She later learned the images of her abuse were being trafficked on the Internet, repeating the original wrongs, her humiliation and hurt renewed as thousands of additional wrongdoers witnessed those crimes.
The defendant pleaded guilty to possessing images of child pornography, including two of the victim. The victim then sought restitution, requesting nearly $3 million in lost income and about $500,000 in future treatment and counseling costs.
Today, the US Supreme Court ruled the law allowed restitution and that anyone possessing the victim’s images should be made liable for the victim’s entire losses from the trade in her images.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – In regards to the ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court today on Paroline v. United States upholding the right of victims of child pornography to receive restitution from those possessing pornographic images of them, Morality in Media President Patrick A. Trueman stated:
“Child pornography crimes are heinous. Its victims have every right to seek restitution from those who trade in such material for the harms incurred, according to an act of Congress. We are pleased that today the U.S. Supreme Court agrees and hope that the high court’s decision will begin to stem the floodtide of child pornography in America and throughout the world.
We also hope that the U.S. Government will address the harms of adult pornography perhaps with similar measures to compensate those harmed by such material. All pornography harms and demeans those depicted as well as the consumers of such material.
At a minimum, federal laws prohibiting distribution of hardcore pornography, or ‘obscene material,’ should be vigorously enforced. Currently, those laws prohibit distribution of such material on the Internet, on cable/satellite TV, on hotel/motel TV, in retail shops, and by common carrier.”
