(legal term)
The Child Obscenity and
Pornography Act, introduced on April 30, 2002, by U.S. Representative Lamar
Smith, R-TX, was meant to stop child pornography and obscenity trafficking, the
solicitation of visual depictions of minors engaging in sexually explicit
conduct, and the use of child
pornography and obscenity to carry out crimes against children.
Furthermore, this Act was meant to make it illegal to produce, distribute, or
own computer-made child pornography images that are indistinguishable from
images of real children. Finally, this Act would expand the governmentÂ’s access
to email without a court order.
On April 30, 2002, the Act was sent to the House Committee
on the Judiciary, Crime subcommittee, and on May 9, 2002, the Act was forwarded
to the full committee and amended by a voice vote. On October 2, 2002, the
Committee on the Judiciary held a hearing. The last action occurred on March
11, 2003, when a Senate subcommittee hearing was held. This bill never became
law.
See Also:
Child Pornography.
Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT). Legislation Affecting the Internet.
[Online, July 28, 2004.] CDT Website.
http://www.cdt.org/legislation/107th/wiretaps/.