South Carolina fights to prevent Internet crimes against minors

With the many positive uses the widespread use of the Internet has created, there are also many negative uses. For example, there are many ways that persons can interact online to commit crimes having to do with an illegal exchange of goods. Internet crimes involving children are a particularly sensitive and very serious problem. This is why South Carolina’s Attorney General is requesting more power to the state to combat child prostitution and sex trafficking over the Internet.

The Attorney General is asking for more power not just for South Carolina but also for 47 other states. These states claim that state governments do not have as much power to combat this crime as the federal government does. His speech at the South Carolina Association of Counties was a call to amend the Communications Decency Act.

The Communications Decency Act was first passed in 1996. It originally was designed to protect children from viewing and accessing indecent online material. Since its inception, it has been expanded to protect children from prostitution solicitation as well.

If one is accused of these terrible internet crimes of child prostitution or sex trafficking and one is innocent, one can be facing a daunting amount of jail time, not to mention carrying the label of sex offender for the duration of one’s life. Giving more power to the states could also possibly mean convicting more innocent people. Anyone convicted of these internet crimes in South Carolina is entitled to fair and unbiased criminal proceedings. Professionals in criminal defense could help the person convicted to put forward a solid and unbiased criminal defense.

Source: thecoastalsource.com, “S.C. Attorney General wants more power to fight online sex crimes,” Rob Macko, Aug. 6, 2013