Manitobans may face fines, jail for not reporting child porn Quote:
Manitobans could be the first Canadians to face jail time and fines for failing to report suspected cases of child pornography.
CBC News has learned the provincial government will introduce legislation Wednesday that will amend the Child and Family Services Act to expand the definition of child abuse to include child pornography.
Under the legislation, anyone caught not reporting suspected cases of child pornography could face up to two years behind bars or a maximum $50,000 fine — the same penalty for those who fail to report child abuse.
"Child porn is not just a picture — it's a sexual assault committed against a child," said Lianna McDonald, director of the Canadian Centre for Child Protection. "It's an act of child abuse that needs to be stopped."
The agency runs the national tip line for reporting child sexual exploitation that Manitobans will be asked to call if they notice a possible case of child pornography.
McDonald said the legislation won't solely target internet service providers, but everyone from computer repair technicians to a babysitter who stumbles upon photos in someone's home.
Police outside Manitoba are applauding the move, including Toronto's police force, which is known worldwide for employing innovative methods of cracking down on sexual exploitation.
"These are real children and these are real photos and we can never forget that…. It's evidence and should be treated that way," said Det.-Sgt. Kim Scanlan, who heads the Toronto Police Service's child exploitation unit.
Child protection advocates said they hope the federal government will adopt legislation similar to the Manitoba proposal.
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Ok, this I disagree with.... how do these people know if it's potiential child porn if the children in question are close to the legal age? Sure younger children should be pretty obvious.... but charging people who had nothing to do with the downloading, distribution, or accessing of child porn should not be charged for not reporting.
Reporting child abuse and exploitation imo is a moral obligation, not a legal one, and I don't see how one can be charged for someone else's actions.
What if they were on the computer but never seen the files? Can they still be charged for something they were unaware of?
Most people would report seeing child porn from someone else anyways.... I don't see where they get off forcing people like this to do what they want.
I mean, they have to prove the person in question actually seen the files with their own eyes..... how exactly do they plan on doing this?
Nov 28, 2007, 12:32 pm
