Exploited Children's Rights Act - Legislation to give child abuse victims a voice in civil courts

Attorney General Bill McCollum and key legislators unveiled new legislation Tuesday which, if passed, will provide victims of child pornography with a voice in court proceedings against individuals who download and distribute images of the child's sexual abuse.

Similar to an established Federal law, the Exploited Children's Rights Act will also entitle victims of Florida-based child pornography to seek no less than $150,000 per incident from perpetrators.

The legislation was filed in the Senate by Sen. Paula Dockery (R-Lakeland) as Senate Bill 1442 and in the House of Representatives by Rep. David Rivera (R-Miami) as House Bill 605.

Every time an image of child pornography is downloaded, viewed or distributed, a child's sexual abuse is continued on the internet for these individuals ghastly appreciation, said Attorney General Bill McCollum.

Until now, these children have not been treated as victims of crime in state courts and Florida would be the first state in the nation to correct this glaring oversight.

The Exploited Children's Rights Act will make Florida the first state to allow victims of Florida-based child pornography to seek civil remedies against those who download images of that child's sexual abuse.

The legislation will also allow the Attorney Generals Office to pursue these cases on behalf of the victims at their request.

According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, there are more than 30 children who have been identified as victims of Florida-based child pornography.

Child pornography is the graphic representation of sex crimes against children, and we must take the strongest stand possible against those who perpetrate this disgusting activity, said Senator Dockery. These individuals need to feel the full strength of our state's outrage.

Florida has already made its mark as a leader against cybercriminals and those who download and distribute child pornography, said Rep. Rivera. With this bill, we are again taking the lead and standing up for these children who so desperately need us on their side.