SPRINGFIELD, Ill., March 29 (UPI) -- A bill now before the Illinois Legislature would require computer technicians to report to police any child pornography they find.
The measure would give technicians the same legal responsibility photo processors now have, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported Saturday.
Erie Davis of Action Computer Co. in Fairview Heights, Ill., said his company already reports child pornography. But he said technicians are only likely to see it if a computer user has done something such as using child pornography on their desk top.
"We don't have the time to root through the computer and all the information when we're trying to fix them," he said.
Cara Smith, a spokeswoman for Attorney General Lisa Madigan, said the legislation would not require technicians to search for child pornography. But she said such a law would make technicians more likely to report what they do spot.
The bill is awaiting action by the state House of Representatives. It would also require Internet service providers to register with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children to make reporting child pornography easier.
