WASHINGTON, DC – At a signing ceremony held in the White House Rose Garden today, President George W. Bush signed into law the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006.While the new law has caught the attention of the adult industry due to significant alterations to the body of regulations and statutes commonly referred to as “2257” contained in the new Act, such changes were merely referenced in a vague fashion statements issued by the Act’s proponents.
Repeating the sentiments expressed in a written statement issued earlier this week, in a brief speech made prior to the actual signing of the bill, Bush said that “the bill I sign today will strengthen federal laws to protect our children from sexual and other violent crimes, will help prevent child pornography, and will make the Internet safer for our sons and daughters.”
Bush also employed the familiar rhetorical device of conflating “Internet pornographers” with “child pornographers” later in the speech. Recalling previous child-protective efforts, Bush said “We also launched Operation Predator to help law enforcement track down and arrest foreign pedophiles, and human traffickers, and sex tourists, and Internet pornographers who prey on our children.”
Tom Hymes, Communications Director for the Free Speech Coalition (FSC) said that his organization met the signing of the Act with “mixed feelings,” and expressed disapproval for the political opportunism and conflation of the issues represented in the official statements coming out of Washington.
“While we applaud the provisions of the legislation that deal with the menace of child predators,” Hymes said, “we are disappointed that Congress has once again made the mistake of equating the legitimate adult entertainment industry with child pornographers by inserting Title V into the bill.”
Title V is the portion of the Act which contains substantial alterations to 18 USC 2257.
“We state once again, without reservation, that this industry is opposed to child pornography, does not make child pornography, and has done more to fight child pornography than Congress will ever give it credit for,” Hymes said.
“What is most distressing about Title V,” Hymes continued, “is that it will not live up to its promise. It is a lie to the American people, a lie that will give them a false sense of security as it simultaneously makes criminals of people who have done nothing wrong. This is more than a shame. It is a frontal assault on the American people, and we intend to do all we can to make sure that they do not get away with it.”
The President wasn’t the only political figure to make a photo opportunity of the Act’s signing, nor was Bush the only elected official making questionable statements about the new law.
“It’s an absolute outrage that the penalty for downloading songs illegally off the internet was three times the penalty for downloading disgusting images of children,” said Senator John Kerry (Dem., MA), according to the Washington Post. “We need to do everything we can to end the disgrace of child pornography. This is a start.”
Kerry was referring to the fact that under the new Act, the civil penalty for downloading child pornography has been raised from $50,000 to $150,000. Possession of child pornography, however, also carries a criminal penalty, a fact that was true prior to the passage of this Act.
Passage of the Act was also praised by National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC).
“I commend President Bush and the members of Congress for enacting a bill allowing law enforcement to stay one step ahead of the sex offenders in this country who prey on our children,” said NCMEC President and CEO Ernie Allen in a press release issued by NCMEC today. “This bill provides a more comprehensive system for tracking sex offenders within the 50 states, calls for better resources for keeping tabs on these predators, and holds sex offenders accountable for failing to register.”
The NCMEC press release includes a list of the bill’s “highlights,” including the provision for a national sex offender registry, the standardization of certain sex offender registration requirements from state-to-state, penalties for failure to register, enhanced sex offender tracking and an increase in the number of “Internet Crimes Against Children Task Forces” across the country. The NCMEC press release makes no mention of changes to record-keeping requirements producers of sexually-explicit material, however.
The White House also issued a “Fact Sheet” underlining the key provisions of the Act.
“President Bush Believes Our Society Has A Duty To Protect Children From Exploitation And Danger,” states the heading for one section of the fact sheet. “By enacting this law, we are sending a clear message across the country that those who prey on our children will be caught, prosecuted, and punished to the fullest extent of the law.”
As with the highlights of the Act listed by NCMEC, the White House fact sheet makes no reference to the altered record-keeping requirements.
