I have question for you. The night before last I was bored and looking at random porn. The last entry I made was cartoon porn (I feel it is less exploitive) and I clicked Google videos. From that point I clicked on a series of videos one after the other. Then I got a bunch of pop ups from the porn sites—as one does. I was closing them when I noticed two had advertisements for websites with what looked like really young kids. Under 12 young. I didn't click on them and was freaked out and I followed my visceral repulsion and power shut everything down.My question is... how do I report what I saw? I didn't do anything wrong but I am stressed out about how and who to tell. I want to do something to help the kids being abused and stop the sick fucks who do that shit. The whole thing makes me nauseous.
No Cute Name To Call Myself
Does someone who accidentally stumbles over images of sexually abused children, aka "child porn," have a duty to report it? Is briefly and inadvertently viewing a popup ad you didn’t ask to see and didn't click on—popups advertising images you weren't seeking out—a criminal act? I put those questions to Amy Muth, a criminal defense attorney. Here's what she had to say:
I am unaware of any Washington or federal statute which creates an affirmative duty to report suspected child pornography images. In terms of possible criminal liability, Washington does have a statute that punishes viewing depictions of a minor, RCW 9.68A.075. But, a pop-up that you quickly close out during an otherwise legal internet session doesn’t fit the statute; you must intentionally view the image. Further, subsection (3) of the statute has a painfully detailed definition of “intent” that, frankly, renders this statute difficult to prosecute. It includes considering browsing history and search terms, and requires proof that the computer user initiated the viewing.
The reader can report these images online. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children has a website for this purpose: www.cybertipline.com. It looks like he could file an anonymous report, although I’m not sure that has a lot of value to law enforcement; I also do not know if law enforcement has some other way of determining the identity of the reporter. My concern is whether reporting exposes your reader to unwanted governmental intrusion. It may result in a call from a federal agent with questions about the reader’s internet viewing habits, and a request to search his computer. I’d recommend your reader consult a lawyer before deciding if he wants to make this report.
Another thing to consider: unless you took screengrabs of those popup ads—which I would NOT advise you or anyone else to do (then you're essentially downloading and storing those images on your computer, which is a criminal act)—your report would amount to, "Hey, there's some extremely fucked up shit on the Internet," which wouldn't come as news to anyone who works in law enforcement or has ever, you know, spent any time on the internet.
It's commendable that you want to do something about what you saw—but in reality, NCNTCM, there's no much you as an individual can do. But you can and should do this before your next legal internet session.
Impeach the motherfucker already! Get your ITMFA buttons, t-shirts, hats and lapel pins and coffee mugs at www.ITMFA.org!
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