Child pornography is a crime. Those caught having or exchanging it can be sent to prison for years. But the law makes no provisions for financial recovery by the victim. The state senate has voted to give victims of child pornography a chance to sue the person who uses them in his scheme.
Senator John Loudon of St. Louis has changed a crime victims bill to let victims of child porn sue the person who took pictures of them. He says technology has made child porn far more damaging than it used to be. Loudon says photographs could be destroyed, but images can be circulated on the internet forever.
Loudon’s plan allows a person to sue until they are 31 years old…or within three years of when they discover what has happened to them.
He has added his legislation to another anti-crime bill that needs to be approved today, before the general assembly adjourns.
(The legislation is SS/HB583 which was approved by the Senate yesterday and returned to the House for consideration of Senate changes)