Legislator Ranzenhofer co-sponsors resolution to stop the exploitation of children via the Internet

A RESOLUTION SUBMITTED BY LEGISLATORS RATH, MARINELLI, MILLS, RANZENHOFER, IANNELLO, KENNEDY, KONST, KOZUB & WROBLEWSKI

Re: Combating the Exploitation of Children in the Internet Age

WHEREAS, the molestation and sexual exploitation of children has been identified as a major public health issue; and

WHEREAS, one in four girls and at least one in ten boys are sexually abused in some way by the age of eighteen; and

WHEREAS, it is estimated that there are between 100,000 and 300,000 children sexually exploited annually through prostitution and pornography in the United States; and

WHEREAS, recent advances in computer technology have been aiding sexual predators, stalkers, child pornographers, child traffickers and others with the intent of exploiting children to commit their acts; and

WHEREAS, Internet bulletin boards, chat rooms, private web sites and peer-to-peer networks are being used daily by pedophiles to meet unsuspecting children; and

WHEREAS, a growing number of teenagers today are using the Internet daily and many enter chat rooms, post personal information about themselves on bulletin boards and establish their own websites; and

WHEREAS, possession and distribution of child pornography is growing at an alarming rate, fueled largely by the capabilities of the Internet and modem technologies; and

WHEREAS, statistics show that child pornography is the fastest-growing of all Internet businesses, estimated to bring in several billion dollars per year; and

WHEREAS, research funded by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children found that forty percent of child pornography possessors were "dual offenders," meaning they had also sexually victimized children; and

WHEREAS, the New York State Senate Codes Committee held a public hearing in Buffalo on January 31, 2008 to receive testimony and relevant information on the issue of "Child Pornography in the Internet Age" and discuss steps that New York State can take to strengthen its laws in order to combat Internet predators who use modern technology to create and distribute child pornography and who use child pornography in order to lure children into sexually abusive relationships; and

WHEREAS, the New York State Senate is currently addressing the issues discussed through two bills currently before the Senate.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT

RESOLVED, that the Erie County Legislature is hereby in support of New York State Senate Bill Number S6875A, which enacts the electronic security and targeting of online predators act, protects people who use the Internet from convicted sex offenders, enables Internet entities to prescreen or remove sex offenders from its services and allows as a sentencing condition the imposition of a reasonable limitation of Internet use by sex offenders; and be it further,

RESOLVED, that the Erie County Legislature is hereby in support of New York State Senate Bill Number S6747, which enacts the “child sexual abuse and exploitation prevention act,” relates to prostitution offenses and creating the crime of sexual exploitation of a child, relates to computer sex crimes against children and relates to the safe harbor for exploited children act; and be it further,

RESOLVED, that certified copies of this resolution be forwarded to Governor Eliot Spitzer, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, Majority Leader Joseph Bruno, Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, the local delegation to the New York State Legislature and County Executive Christopher Collins.

Fiscal Impact: To be determined.

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