How to Report Child Porn Distribution

While some forms of obscenity can be difficult to define legally, child porn is not. Child pornography refers to sexually explicit material that involves individuals under the age of eighteen. Technological advancements in the digital age have made it easier to produce and distribute child pornography. For this reason, it's more important than ever for vigilant citizens to report child porn distribution to proper law enforcement officials.

Instructions

1. Get the URL of websites you suspect to be distributing child porn. "URL" refers to the website's address listed in your browser's navigation window. Use the "cut and paste" feature to highlight and copy the complete URL so that it can be forwarded to the proper authorities.

2. Contact your local police department. Some cities have set up special police task forces to deal with the growing problem of child porn and other forms of cyber crime. In most cases, you'll be able to make your tips anonymously.

3. Contact the FBI. In addition to local law enforcement departments, the federal government is actively engaged in investigating and prosecuting people involved in the child porn trade.

4. Report any suspicious child porn activity to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. You can leave your tips on their Cyber Tip Line by calling 800-843-5678.

5. Report your tips electronically by submitting information to the Association of Sites Advocating Child Protection. This is one of many non-profit organizations specifically dedicated to fighting child porn. You can report child porn through a form on their official website (see Resources below).

6. Make an anonymous tip to AntiChildPorn.org (see Resources below). In addition to reporting child porn distribution, they're also interested in hearing about any attempts others have made to solicit child porn. You can forward all electronic solicitations through their website.

Tips & Warnings

• If you suspect a close friend or family member is involved in the production or distribution of child porn, it can be very difficult to report them to the police. Be brave. If you refuse to report suspected child porn, you're helping others to abuse innocent children.

• Sometimes it can be difficult to determine whether the people involved in pornographic content are of legal age. To address this concern, the US Department of Justice recently revised their definition of "child porn" to include any image that "is, or appears to be, of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct." This is part of an effort to crack down on what the government refers to as "virtual child pornography."

Resources

• ASACP to report child porn
• AntiChildPorn.org to report child porn