On the recordJanuary 28, 2015
today I am introducing legislation to help victims of child pornography, one of society's most heinous crimes. I am joined by 34 Senators on both sides of the aisle. I hope this legislation will soon become law. Sexually exploiting a child distorts her life and leaves scars long after the abuse itself ends and the abuser has been prosecuted. For this reason, the Violence Against Women Act includes a provision requiring that in such cases a defendant must pay restitution to cover all of the victim's losses. Those losses can include future lost income as well as medical care, mental health counseling, and therapy. Child pornography isn't merely the record of a child's sexual abuse, it is itself an instance of abuse. The ongoing trafficking and those images pile harm upon harm. As a result, it becomes even more difficult for a victim to put together a life that was shattered before it had barely begun. As the Supreme Court has recognized, ``every viewing of child pornography is a repetition of the victim's abuse.'' The current restitution statute was enacted in 1994, before the Internet became prime real estate for trafficking of child pornography. It puts victims in an impossible bind. In a case decided last spring, the Supreme Court said the current restitution statute requires the victim to prove how much of her losses were specifically caused by a single defendant's possession of her images.…
