Disentangling Child Pornography from Child Sex Abuse
Journal: Open Scholarship Institutional Repository (Washington University in St. Louis)
Year: 2010

Recent years have seen a significant increase in the criminal penalties associated with possession of child pornography. The new severity appears to be premised on arguments that blur the distinction between those who possess images of child pornography and those who sexually abuse children. In particular, sentences have been increased based on arguments that possession of pornography is equivalent to or worse than child sex abuse, arguments that viewing child pornography increases the risk that