Child modeling (erotic)
Encyclopedia
Child erotica refers to any non-nude or semi-nude photographs and videos of children (minors) in sexually suggestive poses, and is also defined as any material relating to children that is used by any individuals for sexual purposes. Child erotica may include, in addition to images, other materials that may cause sexual arousal
such as children's diaries, drawings, underwear, letters, and other similar items. Law enforcement investigators have found that child erotica is often collected by paedophiles and child sexual abuse offenders
. Some child erotica images are distributed over the internet and presented in a fashion similar to non-erotic child modeling
.
In the United States
, some members of the Congress
have proposed prohibiting certain child modeling sites. Some states are considering similar legislation. Opponents of such legislation argue that it would probably be ruled to violate the first amendment to the US constitution
.
published a story about child modeling web sites that described Lil' Amber, which was a website operated by the web hosting company Webe Web Corporation located in Florida. Webe Web was, at the time, the oldest child modeling site service on the Internet. In November 2001, the NBC television station serving Miami, FL, ran a story entitled "Selling Innocence." A reporter "went undercover" to contact the site operators, and then tracked down Amber (a pseudonym
), the model featured in Lil' Amber, at her family's farm in Palm Beach County. The news report prompted Florida
Congressman
Mark Foley
(R
-Palm Beach County) to propose legislation banning child modeling web sites.
Libman was first identified by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) and the FBI during an investigation of Webe Web Corp., a Florida-based company. According to court documents, USPIS and FBI agents seized large volumes of computer media during the execution of a search warrant at Libman’s residence in Fort Lauderdale. Many of the parents claimed to be unaware of the images being taken of their children, and some had signed over temporary legal custody of their child to Pierson during the modeling session.
The owners were prosecuted in both Florida and Alabama. On November 28, 2006, criminal charges were laid against the owners of Webe Web Corporation. Immediately, all Webe Web child model sites went offline. Jeff Pierson pled guilty to charges of conspiracy and mailing, transporting or shipping child pornography, while the owners of the web hosting company, Marc Evan Greenberg and Jeff Libman, pled not guilty.
Libman was indicted by a grand jury in the Southern District of Florida on April 28, 2009, for receiving, possessing and distributing child pornography. In his plea agreement, Libman admitted he received images that depict prepubescent children and children engaged in sadistic or masochistic conduct. On Nov. 13, 2009, Libman was sentenced to 87 months in prison. He had faced a maximum possible term of 20 years in prison.
Libman, Marc Evan Greenberg and Webe Web Corporation were indicted in November 2006 in a separate case in the Northern District of Alabama for conspiracy to produce images of child pornography and transportation of images of child pornography. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Deputy Chief Alexandra R. Gelber and Trial Attorney Elizabeth M. Yusi of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney A. Marie Villafaña of the Southern District of Florida. The case is being investigated by USPIS, the FBI and CEOS’ High Tech Investigative Unit.
Mr. Libman pleaded guilty in Miami to one count of receiving child pornography in September 2009.
.
Federal prosecutors claimed the Web sites dealt in images of girls as young as 9 wearing scant clothing in suggestive poses. One photo reportedly shows a 9-year-old girl in "black stiletto pumps, a black lace thong, black bra, and a black jacket" sitting on a dining room table, according to court records.
The operators were indicted on transportion of child pornography, possession of child pornography and receipt of child pornography.
Attorneys filed a motion to dismiss the charges against them arguing that the pictures of young girls in suggestive poses on the websites they operated did not rise to the level of pornography. However, the judge assigned to the case, Chief Judge Campbell, denied the motion to dismiss, noting that the U.S. Supreme Court has determined fully clothed pictures can be considered pornographic.
DVDs and photo books of scantily clothed Junior Idols
are available for sale, often next to hardcore pornography.
The Publishers Ethics Committee of the Japan Magazine Publishers' Association checks bookstores for inappropriate publications and has issued warnings to publishers of pornographic manga (books). However, committee members have said it is not easy to determine when an image crosses the line from art to child pornography.
Sexual arousal
Sexual arousal, or sexual excitement, is the arousal of sexual desire, during or in anticipation of sexual activity. Things that precipitate human sexual arousal are called erotic stimuli, or colloquially known as turn-ons. There are many potential stimuli, both physical or mental, which can cause...
such as children's diaries, drawings, underwear, letters, and other similar items. Law enforcement investigators have found that child erotica is often collected by paedophiles and child sexual abuse offenders
Child sexual abuse
Child sexual abuse is a form of child abuse in which an adult or older adolescent uses a child for sexual stimulation. Forms of child sexual abuse include asking or pressuring a child to engage in sexual activities , indecent exposure with intent to gratify their own sexual desires or to...
. Some child erotica images are distributed over the internet and presented in a fashion similar to non-erotic child modeling
Child modeling
A child model refers to a child who is employed to display, advertise and promote commercial products or to serve as a subject of works of art, such as photography, painting and sculpture.-Practice:...
.
Child modeling web sites
Erotic child modeling websites feature children modeling a variety of clothing types, including dresses, bikinis, nightgowns, or undergarments. Almost all internet child modeling centers around web sites that display model series or portfolios. The sites almost always present children as fashion models for hire. In fact, all of a model's income typically comes from membership subscriptions to the web sites displaying their photos. Subscription prices usually range from US$ 20 to 30 per month. In 2002, the PJCrew site was reported to bring in a net income of US$ 7,000 to 10,000 a month at the time it was shut down. A Little Agency had an estimated 2,000 to 3,000 patrons who paid $22 monthly to view their photos One of their models was paid $17,000 by the agency for three months' work.Legal issues in the United States
Depictions of even a clothed child violate U.S. federal law , , and if they constitute "lascivious" exhibitions of the genitalia or pubic area. The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals has defined "lascivious" as "tending to excite lust; lewd; indecent; obscene; sexual impurity; tending to deprave the morals in respect to sexual relations."In the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, some members of the Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
have proposed prohibiting certain child modeling sites. Some states are considering similar legislation. Opponents of such legislation argue that it would probably be ruled to violate the first amendment to the US constitution
First Amendment to the United States Constitution
The First Amendment to the United States Constitution is part of the Bill of Rights. The amendment prohibits the making of any law respecting an establishment of religion, impeding the free exercise of religion, abridging the freedom of speech, infringing on the freedom of the press, interfering...
.
Webe Web
In July 2001, Wired NewsWired News
Wired News is an online technology news website, formerly known as HotWired, that split off from Wired magazine when the magazine was purchased by Condé Nast Publishing in the 1990s. Wired News was owned by Lycos not long after the split, until Condé Nast purchased Wired News on July 11, 2006...
published a story about child modeling web sites that described Lil' Amber, which was a website operated by the web hosting company Webe Web Corporation located in Florida. Webe Web was, at the time, the oldest child modeling site service on the Internet. In November 2001, the NBC television station serving Miami, FL, ran a story entitled "Selling Innocence." A reporter "went undercover" to contact the site operators, and then tracked down Amber (a pseudonym
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
), the model featured in Lil' Amber, at her family's farm in Palm Beach County. The news report prompted Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
Congressman
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
Mark Foley
Mark Foley
Mark Adam Foley is a former member of the United States House of Representatives. He served from 1995 until 2006, representing the 16th District of Florida as a member of the Republican Party....
(R
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
-Palm Beach County) to propose legislation banning child modeling web sites.
Libman was first identified by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) and the FBI during an investigation of Webe Web Corp., a Florida-based company. According to court documents, USPIS and FBI agents seized large volumes of computer media during the execution of a search warrant at Libman’s residence in Fort Lauderdale. Many of the parents claimed to be unaware of the images being taken of their children, and some had signed over temporary legal custody of their child to Pierson during the modeling session.
The owners were prosecuted in both Florida and Alabama. On November 28, 2006, criminal charges were laid against the owners of Webe Web Corporation. Immediately, all Webe Web child model sites went offline. Jeff Pierson pled guilty to charges of conspiracy and mailing, transporting or shipping child pornography, while the owners of the web hosting company, Marc Evan Greenberg and Jeff Libman, pled not guilty.
Libman was indicted by a grand jury in the Southern District of Florida on April 28, 2009, for receiving, possessing and distributing child pornography. In his plea agreement, Libman admitted he received images that depict prepubescent children and children engaged in sadistic or masochistic conduct. On Nov. 13, 2009, Libman was sentenced to 87 months in prison. He had faced a maximum possible term of 20 years in prison.
Libman, Marc Evan Greenberg and Webe Web Corporation were indicted in November 2006 in a separate case in the Northern District of Alabama for conspiracy to produce images of child pornography and transportation of images of child pornography. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Deputy Chief Alexandra R. Gelber and Trial Attorney Elizabeth M. Yusi of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney A. Marie Villafaña of the Southern District of Florida. The case is being investigated by USPIS, the FBI and CEOS’ High Tech Investigative Unit.
Mr. Libman pleaded guilty in Miami to one count of receiving child pornography in September 2009.
A Little Agency
In early 2006 the operators of the child modeling agencies "A Little Agency" and "The VMS," (Matthew Duhamel) were arrested on charges of child pornography. Neither A Little Agency nor the VMS distributed nude photographs. However, federal prosecutors argued that they still contained "lascivious exhibitions" of the genitalia based on the six part Dost testDost test
The Dost test is a six-factor guideline established in the case United States v. Dost in 1996. The case involved 22 nude or semi-nude photographs of females aged 10–14 years old...
.
Federal prosecutors claimed the Web sites dealt in images of girls as young as 9 wearing scant clothing in suggestive poses. One photo reportedly shows a 9-year-old girl in "black stiletto pumps, a black lace thong, black bra, and a black jacket" sitting on a dining room table, according to court records.
The operators were indicted on transportion of child pornography, possession of child pornography and receipt of child pornography.
Attorneys filed a motion to dismiss the charges against them arguing that the pictures of young girls in suggestive poses on the websites they operated did not rise to the level of pornography. However, the judge assigned to the case, Chief Judge Campbell, denied the motion to dismiss, noting that the U.S. Supreme Court has determined fully clothed pictures can be considered pornographic.
Japan
The Japanese Law Banning Child Prostitution and Pornography, enacted in 1999, defines child pornography as any image of a child under 18 years old "naked or partially naked, which is sexually stimulating."DVDs and photo books of scantily clothed Junior Idols
Junior idol
In Japan, a , alternatively or , is primarily defined as a child or early teenager pursuing a career as a photographic model ....
are available for sale, often next to hardcore pornography.
The Publishers Ethics Committee of the Japan Magazine Publishers' Association checks bookstores for inappropriate publications and has issued warnings to publishers of pornographic manga (books). However, committee members have said it is not easy to determine when an image crosses the line from art to child pornography.
Sources
- Betsy Cameron, Lisanne: A Young Model, 1979: Clarkson N. Potter.
- H.R. 1142, 109th Congress, 1st Session, Child Modeling Exploitation Prevention Act, March 8, 2005.
- Mike Brunker, "Legal child porn under fire" MSNBC report, March 28, 2002.
- Mike Brunker, "Young 'model' sites feel the heat: Porn, sexual exploitation charges leveled against 3 operators", MSNBC, July 11, 2002.
- The PJCrew Story. (www.archive.org)
- Julia Scheeres, "Girl Model Sites Crossing Line?", Wired News, July 23, 2001.
- Selling Innocence NBC 6 investigative report Part 1 November 8, 2001; Part 2 November 9, 2001.
- Selling Innocence NBC 6 followup: "Child Modeling Web Site Owner Held On Child Porn Charges; Congressmen Seeking Legislation To Prevent Child Exploitation On The Net" Posted April 18, 2002; updated May 17, 2002.
- Selling Innocence TV movie IMDB entry