The digital age has had far-reaching effects in a variety of sectors in Florida, but it also has some detrimental effects in the arena of child pornography. The ability to digitize images makes it easier for individuals to violate the rights of a child for years often under the radar. Images and files are quickly transported across the internet reaching people across the world in seconds.
According to Justice.gov, the federal statutes define the term as “any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a minor.” A minor is anyone under the age of 18. Any possession, distribution, reception, production, or importation of child pornography images are against federal law. The internet allows individuals to quickly and easily disseminate images in still and video formats around the world.
Individuals can communicate with each other in online communities and groups expanding their access to images. The digital archive of the internet means the images remain available forever. The explosion of child pornography seems to be parallel with the growing usage of the internet.
The Innocent Lives Foundation says victims experience the negative effects for years following the abuse. The permanent nature of the images makes them available on mobile apps, file-sharing sites, gaming devices, social networking websites, and photo-sharing sites. The lifetime nature of the internet makes the child a victim over and over again.
The digitization of images makes the cycle of victimhood continuous. Even the images themselves have become more horrific in nature than in years past. The proliferation of images available may be contributing to the violence seen in current images.