Barton: Child Exploitation Lurking In 'Dark Corners of the Internet''I've Never Been More Revolted'
WASHINGTON - U.S. Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas, chairman of the House
Energy and Commerce Committee, delivered the following statement today as part
of an Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee hearing entitled, "Sexual
Exploitation of Children Over the Internet: What Parents, Kids and Congress Need
to Know About Child Predators":
"Thank you Mr. Whitfield for holding this hearing.
"I have three grown children, two teen-age stepchildren, three
grandchildren and an infant son who is seven months old. Of all the hearings
that we've done, and all the years I've been on this committee and this
subcommittee, which is over 20 years, I've never been more revolted in preparing
for a hearing than in reading the materials that I've had to read for this one.
"My mind simply cannot conceive of parents exploiting their own children
for sexual purposes for profit. And I cannot conceive of anybody in this
universe wanting to perform, or watch performed, a sexual act on an infant. I
simply can't comprehend that.
"Yet that's what we're here today to investigate. Child pornography is
apparently a multibillion, my staff analysis says $20 billion-a-year business.
Twenty billion dollars. And in spite of all the rhetoric, we're basically... I
won't say we're doing nothing, that's not fair to our law enforcement agencies
and all the groups here that are trying to help. But we're doing very little to
counteract it and everybody agrees that it's growing.
"What kind of society do we have if we can't protect infants from sexual
exploitation? One of the witnesses' material shows that almost half of the
incidents of sexual exploitation of children are by family members. What kind of
family is that?
"I just don't understand it. This is one where you can expect the
subcommittee and the full committee, if we need to, to do everything possible.
And I mean everything, not just hold hearings. If we need legislation, if we
need to go to federal law enforcement agencies that have tended to not treat
this as seriously as they should, whatever we need to do on a bipartisan basis,
we're going to do. I think I'm a tolerant person and I'm not a prude, but I am
appalled, I mean absolutely appalled, at what's going on in the Internet with
regards to sexual exploitation of children of the United States, and also
children of the world.
"I'm very appreciative of the staff's work on both sides of the aisle
and I'm very appreciative of Mr. Stupak's and Mr. Whitfield's personal
involvement. I am very supportive of doing whatever we can to really turn the
tide on this. With that Mr. Chairman, I ask that my formal statement be
considered in the record and I yield back my time."
Chairman Barton's Statement for the Record
"Thank you, Chairman Whitfield for holding this hearing on the sexual
exploitation of children over the Internet. As Justice Brandeis wrote, 'sunlight
is said to be the best disinfectant.' If there was ever a case for sunlight and
disinfecting, it is the toxic world of online child pornography.
"Child porn is a $20 billion a year business and it is growing daily on
the Internet. The more you know about it, the more revolted you become.
"There are accounts of children - some as young as 18 months old- being
raped on camera for profit. Less than a month ago, based on an investigation by
agents from United States Immigration and Custom Enforcement and international
law enforcement, 27 people in the United States and abroad were charged with
trafficking in pornography. Among their alleged crimes were the production of
live, pay-per-view molestations of children which were carried over the Internet
by streaming video.
"These are actions so repugnant that they are difficult for the mind to
even acknowledge, much less grasp and consider.
"With the ability to post and trade images anonymously over the
Internet, current estimates indicate that there are three million images of
child pornography on the Internet today. While law enforcement is working to
tackle this epidemic of abuse, their resources are taxed as an endless supply of
child pornography is pumped into the Internet by individuals around the globe.
"No one wants to believe that predators abuse and torture children and
sell or swap the pictures of that abuse. We do not like to think that even
though our children have been warned by about strangers, children are still
logging onto the Internet and meeting strangers, child predators and pedophiles.
But according to one estimate, one in five children report that they have
received a sexual solicitation over the Internet.
"It is because this problem is so horrific that we need to know more
about it. Our nation's parents, children and educators need to know exactly what
dangers are lurking on the Internet. They need to appreciate how serious this
problem is so that they can prepare their children for what - or who - is
waiting for them online.
"One of our witnesses today, Justin Berry, will speak personally to the
horrors of child sexual exploitation on the Internet and its impact on its
victims. Justin's life is a terrible lesson to every parent and child in
America. It began when Justin went online to meet and communicate with other
children his age. Instead, he was greeted almost immediately by child predators
who, by pretending to be his friends, convinced him to engage in sexual acts.
First it was through a webcam, and then it was in person. Again, at the
encouragement of these predators, Justin turned these performances into an
online pornography business. Justin, I want to thank you for appearing here
today to tell your story. I know it must be painful to talk about your
involvement in the pornography industry and the abuse you suffered. I hope that
your story might prevent others from following your path or convince a victim to
seek help.
"With Justin today is New York Times reporter Kurt Eichenwald,
who, when researching an story on cyber fraud, found Justin's Web sites and
eventually persuaded Justin to seek help. Justin credits Mr. Eichenwald as being
the person who rescued him from the world of child pornography.
"Today's testimony will shine a bright light on a business that has
flourished in the dark corners of the Internet. I hope that what the public
learns today will help children to recognize a child predator if they meet one
online. Finally, by speaking frankly about the impact of child pornography on
its victims, this hearing will make plain that parents, educators, law
enforcement and lawmakers must make every effort to protect our children and put
an end to an industry that profits from the abuse and degradation of children.
"I look forward to hearing from the witnesses and yield back the balance
of my time."
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