Internet Child Pornography, U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and the Role of Internet Service Providers

Abstract

The following review will provide a historical recap of the United States response to child pornography as it relates to the ever-evolving technological world. Specifically, a review of the child pornography laws, at the federal level, as well as the sentencing guidelines will reveal the delicate balance between criminalizing child pornography and upholding the United States’ constitution. In addition, discussing the role of Internet Service Providers will expose a trend toward using the same technology, which has proliferated the child pornography industry, to identify and censor the illegal content on the Internet. Finally, the strengths and weaknesses of the current laws and regulation tactics, as well as, the suggested amendments will be discussed.KeywordsInternet Service ProviderChild PornographyMoral PanicFourth AmendmentSentencing GuidelineThese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.