March PROTECT Update

BLAST-PROUpdate2 FORWARD TO YOUR FRIENDS TO SHARE THE NEWS

Give to the National Association to Protect Children & PROTECT

March 29, 2012 Update
~ Anti-Grooming Law
~ Longer Sentences
~ Thank You
~ Bipartisan Work
~ How You Can Help
Join Us on Facebook
We’ve passed 4,000 members on Facebook! Have you joined us? Please visit us on Facebook and “like” our page.
Follow Us on Twitter
If you’re on Twitter, you can follow our news and updates there as well: @protect.
Visit Our Website
Please visit us at protect.org to see what we’re up to.
Dear Sarah:
During all of the recent fireworks over Alicia’s Law, we didn’t have a chance to tell you about two great new victories.
Anti-Grooming Law
When we were working with The Oprah Show in 2008, a law enforcement officer brought an outrageous “cartoon” to her studio. Oprah showed it to her horrified audience during a commercial break.
The video was designed by predatory pedophiles for children, to teach them that being abused was normal and good. It’s a despicable and very dangerous thing to do to a kid. Experts call it “grooming” and it’s a common tactic of predators. Oprah could show the video because it wasn’t illegal. It was “just a cartoon.”
Well, we told Virginia lawmakers about the outrage, and they found a legal solution. Showing material like that to a child is now a felony in Virginia, and we plan to make it the law of the land in more states!
Longer Sentences on the Way!
Another new law we’re proud of will be locking up some predators for longer.
Lately, some federal judges have been complaining that penalties for child pornography crimes are too tough. They want you to believe that child pornography is a victimless crime, especially when no money changes hands.
But as we’ve been saying, so-called “simple possessors” constantly fuel demand for new child abuse images. One way they do that is by encouraging others to share new video and photos of their crime scenes.

So our newest law makes it a mandatory prison sentence for encouraging anyone to share child abuse images to gain entry into a group. It’s another hammer for prosecutors to use, whether some judges like it or not!

Thank You Del. Bell, Gilbert and Albo
Three lawmakers deserve special thanks for these two laws: Virginia House Delegates Rob Bell, Todd Gilbert and Dave Albo. They’ve made Virginia safer and given the nation two new model laws.
Bipartisan Progress on Capitol Hill
We’re very happy to report that the Democrats and the Republicans are coming together lately to work with us in Washington. We’re looking at a long spring and summer, with very little work getting done until after the November elections. But we’ve got key leaders in both parties signing on to calls to double funding for law enforcement task forces that combat child exploitation.
Can You Chip in $5?
If you watch television or read the paper, you know politics is awash in millions of dollars in cash. But the bad news is that children are still not a real “special interest” in America. We continue to operate on a shoestring. If you can pitch in just $5, we’ll use it to keep our progress moving! Thanks in advance.
–THE STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS AT PROTECT
Copyright © 2012 PROTECT. All Rights Reserved.
Share

The Other Side of Penn State

I’m reposting the email I got from PROTECT today. You can go to their website and sign up to get their email directly.

Looking the Other Way

Americans are outraged that Penn State officials failed to report a suspected child predator. But what about public officials who know about child predators and look the other way?

PROTECT in Pennsylvania


Pennsylvania State Rep. Dan Deasy announces the “Attorney General Mandated Reporter Law,” which will be part of Alicia’s Law in 2012. Behind him, L to R: Rep. Dan Frankel, Alicia Kozakiewicz, Former Congressman Patrick Murphy and Camille Cooper of PROTECT.


Today, PROTECT took our Child Rescue Emergency Campaign and our fight for sunlight and accountability to Pennsylvania.Our newest legislation, sponsored by Representatives Dan Deasy, Mike Sturla and Dan Frankel, and championed by former Congressman Patrick Murphy, will make the Attorney General of Pennsylvania a mandated reporter of child abuse and exploitation.

“Penn State covered up one alleged child predator,” says PROTECT’s Grier Weeks. “The State of Pennsylvania is covering up thousands. This law will force them to admit it and mandate that the Attorney General report the crimes to local law enforcement.”

No More Coverups

Law enforcement map showing traffickers of child rape videos and crime scene photos in the Pennsylvania region.


Since 2006, PROTECT has negotiated behind the scenes with politicians in Congress, the U.S. Justice Department and the States. We show them proof that they could rescue hundreds of thousands of children and we call for action.They always want to get away with the minimum. One senior official in the U.S. Justice Department begged us privately not to embarrass his administration by exposing the full truth, promising to do more.
When politicians cover up crimes like these, children are raped and childhoods are destroyed. That’s not rhetoric, it’s the truth. So, last month, we launched our Child Rescue Emergency campaign.

Pennsylvania officials don’t think they have an emergency now. But when they are forced to open up law enforcement databases and report the actual shocking number of child predators they are hiding, the tide will turn.

Are You With Us?

We are proud of our tough little band of staff and volunteers. But we cannot keep taking on and winning big fights like these without help.

Let’s just admit it. Even though there are millions of survivors of child abuse, millions of parents and millions of caring people, Americans still don’t fight for abused children the way they fight for all of their other “special interests.” It’s a disgrace.

If you value what we do, and you can support us financially, please help us keep the phones on. But even if you can’t, there are other ways to keep this fight going. Take action when we send action alerts. Join our Facebook community and help us make it 10 times bigger. Get your local government to pass a Child Rescue Emergency resolution. Spread the word every way you can.
And we’ll continue to be the only voice in the political arena fighting for child protection… and doing it in a bipartisan, successful way.

Share