One of the most horrific crimes in the world is child pornography. Not only is child pornography sad, inappropriate, and dangerous, but also it’s also incredibly immoral to the poor children featured. In the United States and several other countries, child pornography is also illegal.

Unfortunately, child pornography remains an issue as prevalent as it is heartbreaking. Child pornography continues to exist all around the globe, rampantly in some places. The U.S. is trying hard to quell and eliminate it, a noble endeavor, if one that will take a very long time to complete. Here are some of the things the U.S. is doing to quell this horrific practice.

Harsh Penalties

The penalties for child pornography — for those selling it, purchasing it, or producing it — have always been harsh. Thankfully, the U.S. continues to increase the severity of the punishment. It used to be that only those responsible for producing child pornography were subject to harsh punishment; now, anyone selling, buying, or caught in possession of it are liable to receive large fines and long jail sentences.

This is one of the most effective ways to eliminate the practice: if the penalties are severe enough, many people who otherwise would want to possess child pornography will stop doing so, decreasing demand for it, which in turn reduces its supply. By targeting the last line in child pornography — the consumer — the U.S. is beginning to create a trickle down effect that will eventually have a strong impact on eliminating the practice.

Internet Regulations

A few large internet service providers — such as Verizon Wireless, Sprint, and Time Warner Cable — have removed all known child pornography from their servers, and refuse channels that wish to present child pornography. This is a huge step, but some work still remains. By removing child pornography from their servers, these companies are not actively contributing to the spread of the illicit material. However, pornographic images and videos of children can still be accessed through the service provided by those Internet companies, just not on their severs. The government is increasingly calling on these sorts of large Internet companies to not only remove child pornography from their servers, but to block it from being accessed by their service.

Technological Advancements

Innovative tech company Google has had a profound impact on squashing child pornography. The company has spent $5 million on removing pornographic images and videos of children from the Internet, and has spent an additional $2 million on research to discover more effective ways to locate and eliminate child pornography. Part of that $2 million is also going towards creating more effective ways for Internet users to report child pornography if they find it, and to help those reports lead to meaningful legal action.

Eliminating child pornography in the U.S. is not an easy task, but it absolutely needs to be done. For the sake of children everywhere, we need to find ways to eliminate this horrible practice. Thankfully, we’re moving in the right direction.

Byline

Vince Christiansen is a freelance writer who focuses on law and politics. Those with legal needs should invariably consult with an established practitioner such as those at criminaldefensene.com.