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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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CONTACT:
Victoria L. Stanish |
State Rep. Jennifer
Mann |
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Mann bill creating penalty for viewing child porn passes House
HARRISBURG, April 17 – State Rep. Jennifer Mann, D-Lehigh, said her bill that would make it a crime to view child pornography passed the House today.
The bill (H.B. 35) would make intentionally viewing child pornography a crime under Pennsylvania law. Under current law, only the possession of child pornography is punishable, not merely viewing it.
Mann introduced the legislation in response to a recent state Superior Court ruling that overturned the conviction of a man who admitted to intentionally viewing prohibited material but claimed he did not know his computer was storing the images. When these and other images are viewed on the Internet, they are automatically saved to a “cache,” a special folder on the computer’s hard drive.
“This bill provides another measure of safety for our children,” Mann said. “It also gives the justice system and the police more leverage to prosecute criminals who view these materials and who engage in the exploitation of children.
“We need to get rid of this loophole in order to provide further protections for children from sexual predators.”
The legislation now goes to the state Senate for consideration.
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