H.R. 4098 Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform

Washington, DC – Today Stop Child Predators applauded Representative Ed Towns (D-NY) for introducing the Secure Federal File Sharing Act, H.R. 4098, that will help prevent the proliferation of child pornography by prohibiting the download, installation or use of open-network peer-to-peer file sharing software by government employees on all federal computers. The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform will consider the legislation.

Studies show users of peer-to-peer applications have inadvertently exposed personal information such as their tax returns, health records, business documents and other confidential information through file-sharing programs.  Worse, peer-to-peer applications can be used as vehicles for the distribution of illegal child pornography that is often deliberately labeled with seemingly benign titles that appeal to children. 

As a result, when a child searches for popular terms like “Hannah Montana” on a file-sharing service, that child runs the risk of being exposed to child pornography. 

Because these programs automatically share any file that is downloaded onto a user’s computer, the child may also unwittingly become a worldwide distributor and publisher of the same pornography to which he or she was exposed, making it more likely that others will be exposed as well. 

“We applaud Representative Towns for introducing legislation that puts into place safeguards to help curb the dissemination of child pornography that could be mistakenly accessed by government employees if they download peer-to-peer file sharing software on their work computers.  While peer-to-peer technology has many useful and legal purposes, statistics also indicate such networks create fertile ground for swapping pornographic material of minors,” said Stacie Rumenap, President of Stop Child Predators.

H.R. 4098 allows for exceptions to be made available if a peer-to-peer file sharing program is necessary for certain business operations of an agency or for a particular task or project.

Stop Child Predators works to fight against the dissemination of child pornography. 

Stop Child Predators published the white paper “Peer-to-Peer File Sharing:  Pandora’s Box of Child Porn?” in November 2009 recognizing the use of peer-to-peer networks by pedophiles to trade child pornography, and also highlighting the efforts by Congress, law enforcement officials and industry leaders to combat the problem. 

In February 2008, Stop Child Predators filed comments with the Federal Communications Commission arguing any new rules governing broadband industry practices should not interfere with the ability of Internet Service Providers to make sure their networks are not used to transmit child pornography.

Stop Child Predators also weighed in on United States v. Michael Williamsbefore the United States Supreme Court in June 2007.  This case was an appeal from a federal court ruling that struck down a law prohibiting individuals from marketing and trafficking child pornography on the Internet.  In a 7 to 2 opinion in May 2008, the Supreme Court ruled against the appeal and upheld the original 2003 law targeting child pornographers.

About Stop Child Predators
Stop Child Predators is a national non-profit organization that brings together a team of policy experts, law enforcement officers, community leaders, and parents to persuade state and federal lawmakers to enact policies to combat the sexual exploitation of children, and promote and protect the rights of victims.

http://www.stopchildpredators.org/news/pr012510.htm

Table of Contents:

President’s Message
This January marks a very exciting month at Stop Child Predators. This past fall, Amy Thienel joined Stop Child Predators as communications director. Amy is enthusiastic, and brings with her the creativity our halls have needed, as well as excellent writing experience and a dedication to promoting child safety at every possible turn. Be on the lookout for Amy’s blog postings, Facebook and newsletter updates and guest commentaries.

In Search of the New “World’s Greatest Rock Band”
The Super Bowl is one of the most-watched broadcasts on American television each year, with an estimate of over 100 million viewers tuning in for at least some of the game. If you’re anything like me, the halftime show is the highlight of the game. In recent years, they’ve become increasing elaborate and featured the biggest musical stars. In 2002, the halftime show starring U2 honored victims of the September 11th attacks. Mostly, the NFL gets it right when scheduling performers, even if there is an occasional “wardrobe malfunction” like in 2006. Which is why it’s shocking that the 2010 halftime show delivers a slap in the face to child victims of sex crimes.

Judge Asks Prosecutors Why No Restitution in Child Porn Case Was Sought
Thanks to our partnering organization National Law Center for Children and Families, Stop Child Predators was alerted that a federal judge in Minnesota wants prosecutors to explain why they have not pursued restitution in a child pornography case even when one of the victims requested it.

Luncheon With Chris Hansen of “To Catch a Predator” on January 28
Washington, DC – Join SCP and Carol Joynt at Joynt’s monthly Q&A Café on Thursday,January 28th to hear from NBC’s Chris Hansen, host of the acclaimed “To Catch A Predator” series on Dateline. The location is the Georgetown Ritz Carlton at 3100 South Street, NW, Washington, DC 20007. Seating begins at noon. The cost is $50, all inclusive. Valet parking is available for a discounted $10. Please make your reservation by calling (202) 912-4110.

Child Advocates Push to Eliminate Statute of Limitations for Reporting Child Sexual Assault in “America’s Dairyland”
The Wisconsin State Assembly recently introduced legislation that would eliminate the statute of limitations for reporting child sexual assault. Under Assembly Bill 453, the civil statute of limitations for reporting child sexual assault cases would be lifted, allowing a victim barred under current law to file a civil suit regardless of the amount of time passed since the abuse.

Parents Tech Corner: Monitoring 101
Ellen Ohlenbusch President, McGruff SafeGuard
In any community, children confront dangers every day that parents are careful to protect against. Many parents can identify the troublemakers, the bad influencers, the bullies and possibly the predators to look out for. But, there is another community where children play that involves many more dangers and risks. This community is the Internet, and 74 percent of children ages 8 to 18 explore it without ever leaving home.

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