U.S. Supreme Court to consider child porn

WASHINGTON, March 27 (UPI) -- The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to consider restoring part of the child pornography law that outlawed sending messages offering pornography.

A federal appeals court in Atlanta ruled last year that the provision was too far-reaching and threw it out, the Los Angeles Times reported. The justices decided Monday to reconsider the law and will hear arguments on it in the fall.

Under the law being reconsidered, a person could be prosecuted for sending a computer message offering child pornography.

The Times said the provision was struck down in the case of John Mitchell, a South Florida man who pleaded guilty to advertising on the Internet nude photos of his 4-year-old daughter and for possessing child pornography.

The Atlanta appeals court agreed with his lawyer that the advertising part of the law was too broad and could punish people who sent messages about pornography that didn't exist.

U.S. Solicitor General Paul D. Clement argued in favor of the law. Those who traffic in "what purports to be child pornography deserve no sanctuary," he said.