WASHINGTON, D.C. — Sen. Orrin Hatch, member and former chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, issued the following statement after introducing the Amy and Vicky Child Pornography Victim Restitution Improvement Act:
Child pornography destroys the lives of everyone it touches. We must do everything we can to both prosecute the crime and help the victims. The Amy and Vicky Act will help ensure that child pornography victims get real and timely restitution to help them obtain the care they need to recover and move on with their lives.
Amy and Vicky, for whom this particular provision is named, are the victims of two of the most widely-viewed child pornography series in the world. The bill also has the support of “Andy,” the victim of one of the most widely viewed male child porn series in the country.
In a letter, Andy, a Utahn, wrote, “I feel that every single criminal that is found with mine or another child’s images should be held accountable for the highest amount possible to help us victims repair our lives.” He said, “with this congressional change, I can start to heal, learn how to handle my circumstances, and rebuild my life.”
Senator Hatch spoke on the Senate Floor about the Amy and Vicky Act. The speech is available in the YouTube video below.
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Videocast courtesy of the Offices of Sen. Orrin Hatch
The bill has 43 bipartisan cosponsors, and is also supported by major victims’ groups, including Utah Coalition Against Pornography, National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, National Organization for Victim Assistance, National Crime Victim Law Institute, Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network and National Center for Victims of Crime. Attorneys general of 43 states, including Utah, support the bill.
Pamela Atkinson, president of the Utah Coalition Against Pornography, wrote of the Amy and Vicky Act:
“This is a very important and much needed bill—child pornography harms all children! It harms the child who is sexually assaulted in the making of the image and the same child is re-victimized every time that image is used. It harms all children because it portrays them as a class of objects for sexual exploitation. Senator Hatch’s bill sends a warning to all predators that they will be held financially accountable, and the high cost of mandatory restitution may well deter future predators.
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