Phoenix, Arizona - Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich joined a bipartisan coalition of 54 state and territorial attorneys general to call on Congress to pass legislation supporting victims of child pornography. The proposed Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Assistance Act would make it easier for child pornography victims to obtain restitution.
“While nothing can undo the harm done to these victims by perpetrators who produce, share and view these images,” Attorney General Brnovich and other attorneys general wrote in their letter, “Congress can act to make it easier for victims to receive meaningful restitution.”
Under current law, a child pornography victim must pursue every case in which a defendant was found to possess their image, although they may receive only a small amount of restitution in each case. Digital images of each child victim are trafficked worldwide, and there may be thousands of defendants found to possess each victim’s images. As a result, victims must pursue thousands of cases to obtain full restitution.
“The surge in child pornography on the Internet has led to increased victimization and trafficking to meet the demand for new pictures and live video of sexual violence against increasingly younger children,” the letter states. “The highest 'value' images traded online are those which depict the youngest victims and the most horrific sex acts. Additionally, the FBI reports there are now more investigations of child exploitation with a connection to the Internet than ever before.”
The bill passed the U.S. Senate on January 23, 2018 by unanimous consent and is now being considered by the House Judiciary Committee.
All state attorneys general signed the letter, along with attorneys general from the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.