On 16th April 2002, the US Supreme Court ruled that the Child
Pornography Prevention Act of 1996 was unconstitutional. The law
targeted computer technologies that can be used to alter an
innocent picture of a child into a depiction of a child engaged in
sex.
The Free Speech Coalition, a trade association representing the
porn industry, said it supports a ban on child porn, but argued
that the legislation could ban non-obscene sex scenes in respected
films. The Supreme Court's ruling shocked those that campaign
against child porn.
Congressman Lamar Smith of Texas has introduced a new draft law
which would ban many of the images that were once illegal under the
1996 legislation. Other US politicians have described the draft as
a necessary response to the Supreme Court ruling.
In the UK, child porn is illegal under the Protection of
Children Act. It defines children as those under the age of 16 and
those giving the impression that they are under 16. Pseudo
photographs are also caught.
