WASHINGTON -- President Reagan today signed into law the Child Protection Act, which stiffens federal penalties on the production and distribution of 'ugly and dangerous' child pornography.
At a signing ceremony in the Rose Garden, Reagan announced that Attorney General William French Smith will establish a new national commission 'to study the effects of pornography on our society.'
Saying he was signing the bill with 'great satisfaction and appreciation,' Reagan added:
'I feel very strongly about these measures. There's no one lower or more vicious than a person who would profit from the abuse of children, whether by using pornographic material or encouraging their sexual abuse by distributing this material.
'For years, some people have argued that this kind of pornography is a matter of artistic creativity and freedom of expression and so on and so on, and they go on with that,' Reagan said. 'Well, it's not. This pornography is ugly and dangerous. If we do not move against it to protect our children, then we as a society just aren't worth much.'
The legislation represents one of Congress's few compromises this session on crime reform legislation.
Reagan took issue with a National Commission on Pornography report in 1970, which he said reached the 'famous conclusion' that pornography has no significant effect on behavior.
'I think the evidence that has come out since that time that pornography has become increasingly more extreme shows it is time to take a new look and stop pretending that pornogrpahy is a victimless crime,' he said.
The bill, which received final approval May 8 on a voice vote in the House, makes it easier for law enforcers to catch and convict child pornographers and boosts fines for the crime more than tenfold.
The measure was prompted by a 1982 Supreme Court decision that cleared the way for tougher 'kiddie porn' laws by eliminating the requirement that sexually explicit films and pictures featuring children meet the stringent legal definition of obscene to be banned.
It is one of only a handful of anti-crime measures to clear Congress this session, even though lawmakers of both parties say reforms are needed.
The measure strenghtens the Child Protection Act, under which there have been fewer than 50 federal prosecutions since it was passed seven years ago.
Besides conforming the law to the Supreme Court ruling, the measure for the first time provides for the use of court-supervised wiretaps to catch pedophiles -- people who are sexually attracted to children.
The bill also closes a loophole in current law by banning not only the sale but also the trading and distribution of kiddie porn.
Fines would be boosted from $10,000 to up to $100,000 for a first offense and from $15,000 to $200,000 for a repeat offense. Prison terms would remain at 10 years for a first conviction and 15 years for repeat offenders. The bill also imposes the threat of forfeiture of pornographic equipment and any property purchased with benefits from the sale of pornogra
x1phic materials.
