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Federal judge demands federal prosecutors to address restitution issues in child porn cases

By Douglas A. Berman

A helpful reader alerted me to this local story reporting on a notable and important twist in the developing debate over whether children pictured in child porn can get awards of restitution from those who download these pictures.  The story is headlined, "Federal judge asks prosecutors to put a price on child porn," and here is how it starts: She goes by the name of "Amy," and the photos her uncle took of her a decade ago -- when she was 8 or 9 years old -- are among the most widely circulated series of child pornography images in the United States. Now her fight for damages from those who possess or distribute those photos is emerging as a big issue in federal courtrooms across the country. Including here.  The question is: How much can one offender possessing any of the millions of images circulating on the Internet be expected to pay to any of the thousands of victims worldwide? Amy is seeking a total of more than $3...continue to full post

Full post as published by Sentencing Law and Policy on January 05, 2010 (boomark / email).