Lawmakers promote anti-child porn bill

NEAR FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (WSVN) — Lawmakers and federal officials are teaming up to promote a bill that could help crack down on child pornography.

Each day, online predators trade, buy and sell images of young children being sexually assaulted. FBI special agent John Gillies said, “Currently, we have over 6,000 child pornography cases opened in the FBI. You have to imagine coming to work everyday with files stacked high with our children being violated by the sickest predators that we have in this country. Ten percent of our victim children are infants.”

According to the FBI, child pornography is a huge, very profitable business, and local lawmakers are now getting involved in the fight against child porn. “It’s very little that’s bipartisan in Washington. Protecting children absolutely needs to be,” said Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL).

A new bill is making its way through Congress, which will force Internet service providers to keep IP logs for more than 12 months in an effort to help law enforcement agencies catch online predators.

Many ISPs only keep logs for about two months or less. Congressman Lamar Smith (R-TX) said, “Some ISPs might hold [IP logs] for seven days, some for seven weeks, but it just wasn’t enough.”

“In an investigation, dumping that data in five days, we don’t even know about it for five days,” said Broward County Sheriff Al Lamberti.

Congresswoman Schultz mentioned what occurs when online predators are not captured. “When a lead runs cold, here’s the consequence: A child is abused again and again and again,” she said.

The piece of legislation would also increase the penalty for those convicted of buying, selling or trading child pornography. The jail time for convicted online predators would rise from five years to 20 years in prison. “The next step for us is the House floor,” said Smith, “and then we’re working with our friends in the Senate to try to get them to turn around the bill, as well.”

Schultz said, “There’s a serious need for this legislation. It will literally save lives.”

Parents interested in finding out more information about the new bill and how they can protect their children from online predators should visit: http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/investigate/cyber/innocent/innocent