COULD YOU TELL US WHAT WAS GOING YOUR MIND AT THAT POINT? >>> THANK YOU, SENATOR.
AS A MOTHER, AND A JUDGE WHO HAS
HAD TO DEAL WITH THESE CASES, I
WAS THINKING THAT NOTHING COULD
BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH.
THESE ARE SOME OF THE MOST
DIFFICULT CASES THAT A JUDGE HAS
TO DEAL WITH BECAUSE WE ARE
TALKING ABOUT THE PICTURES OF
SEX ABUSE OF CHILDREN, WE ARE
TALKING ABOUT GRAPHIC
DESCRIPTIONS THAT JUDGES HAVE TO
READ AND CONSIDER HEN THEY
DECIDE HOW TO SENTENCE IN THESE
CASES, AND THERE IS A STATUTE
THAT TELLS JUDGES WHAT THEY ARE
SUPPOSED TO DO.
CONGRESS HAS DECIDED WHAT IT IS
THAT A JUDGE HAS TO DO IN THIS
AND ANY OTHER CASE WHEN THEY
SENTENCE.
AND THAT STATUTE, THAT STATUTE
DOESN’T SAY LOOK ONLY AT THE
GUIDELINES AND STOP.
THE STATUTE DOESN’T SAY, IMPOSE
THE HIGHEST POSSIBLE PENALTY FOR
THIS SICKENING AND EGREGIOUS
CRIME.
THE STATUTE SAYS, CALCULATE THE
GUIDELINES, BUT ALSO LOOK AT
VARIOUS ASPECTS OF THIS OFFENSE
AND IMPOSE A SENTENCE THAT IS
"SUFFICIENT BUT NOT GREATER THAN
NECESSARY" TO PROMOTE THE
PURPOSES OF PUNISHMENT.
AND IN EVERY CASE, WHEN I AM
DEALING WITH SOMETHING LIKE
THIS, IT IS IMPORTANT TO ME TO
MAKE SURE THAT THE CHILDREN’S
PERSPECTIVE, THE CHILDREN’S
VOICES, ARE REPRESENTED IN MY
SENTENCING.
WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT, FOR
EVERY DEFENDANT, WHO COMES
BEFORE ME AND SUGGESTS AS THEY
OFTEN DO THAT THEY ARE JUST A
LOOKER, THAT THESE CRIMES DON’T
REALLY MATTER, THAT THEY HAVE
COLLECT THESE THINGS ON THE
INTERNET, AND IT IS FINE.
I TELL THEM ABOUT THE VICTIM
STATEMENTS, THAT HAVE COME INTO
ME AS A JUDGE.
I TELL THEM ABOUT THE ADULTS WHO
ARE FORMER CHILD SEX ABUSE
VICTIMS WHO TELL ME THAT THEY
WILL NEVER HAVE A NORMAL ADULT
RELATIONSHIP BECAUSE OF THIS
ABUSE.
I TELL THEM ABOUT THE ONES WHO
SAY I WENT INTO PROSTITUTION, I
FELL INTO DRUGS BECAUSE I WAS
TRYING TO SUPPRESS THE HURT THAT
WAS DONE TO ME AS AN INFANT.
AND THE ONE THAT WAS THE MOST
TELLING TO ME THEY DESCRIBE IN
ALMOST EVERY ONE OF THESE
SENTENCING WHEN I LOOK IN THE
EYES OF A DEFENDANT WHO IS
WEEPING BECAUSE I AM GIVING HIM
A SIGNIFICANT SENTENCE, WHAT I
SAY TO HIM IS, DO YOU KNOW THAT
THERE IS SOMEONE WHO HAS WRITTEN
TO ME AND WHO HAS TOLD ME THAT
SHE HAS DEVELOPED IGOR PHOBIA,
SHE CANNOT LEAVE HER HOUSE,
BECAUSE SHE THINKS THAT EVERYONE
SHE MEETS WILL HAVE SEEN HER,
WILL HAVE SEEN HER PICTURES ON
THE INTERNET, THEY ARE OUT THERE
FOREVER.
AT THE MOST VULNERABLE TIME OF
HER LIFE, AND SO SHE IS
PARALYZED.
YOU TELL THAT STORY TO EVERY --
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>>> SO THEY UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY
HAVE DONE.
I SAY TO THEM, THAT THERE IS
ONLY A MARKET FOR THIS KIND OF
MATERIAL BECAUSE THERE ARE
LOOKERS.
THAT YOU ARE CONTRIBUTING TO
CHILD SEX ABUSE, AND THEN I
IMPOSE A SIGNIFICANT SENTENCE
AND ALL OF THE ADDITIONAL
RESTRAINTS THAT ARE AVAILABLE IN
THE LAW.
THESE PEOPLE ARE LOOKING AT 20,
30, 40 YEARS OF SUPERVISION.
THEY CAN’T USE THEIR COMPUTERS
IN A NORMAL WAY FOR DECADES.
I AM IMPOSING ALL OF THOSE
CONSTRAINTS BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND
HOW SIGNIFICANT, HOW DAMAGING,
HOW HORRIBLE THIS CRIME IS.