Ayotte Backs Bill to Help Victims of Child Pornography

Press Release

Announces support for "Amy and Vicky Child Pornography Victim Restitution Improvement Act"

U.S. Senator Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) announced today that she is backing bipartisan legislation to help victims of child pornography obtain full and timely restitution for the heinous crimes that were committed against them. The "Amy and Vicky Child Pornography Victim Restitution Improvement Act" - named for two victims of the most widely distributed child pornography series in the world - strengthens existing federal restitution law to ensure that those who victimize children pay for their predatory and harmful crimes.

The legislation, which is supported by "Amy" and "Vicky," comes in response to the Supreme Court's decision in Paroline v. United States, which highlighted the need for congressional action to streamline and improve the restitution process for child pornography victims. The bill, which was introduced by Senators Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Charles Schumer (D-NY) updates existing law to reflect that multiple individuals continually add to the harm of a victim, but only certain individuals end up before a judge and can be subject to a restitution order. The "Amy and Vicky Act" gives judges options so that victims actually receive real restitution and are not left chasing after defendants for the rest of their lives.

"Victims of childhood pornography deserve every possible tool to obtain justice, including the full restitution they deserve," said Senator Ayotte. "Those who prey on children need to know that they will be severely punished for their despicable crimes, and this bipartisan legislation ensures that child predators will pay a heavy price for victimizing children. I worked as Attorney General to crack down on child pornography, and this legislation continues my efforts to fully punish those who harm innocent kids."

The "Amy and Vicky Act" includes provisions that:

*Consider the total harm to the victim, including from predators who may not yet have been identified,
*Require real and timely restitution; and,
*Ensure all defendants who have contributed to the same victim's harm are held responsible for paying restitution to victims.

In addition to "Amy" and "Vicky," the legislation is supported by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, National Organization for Victim Assistance, National Crime Victim Law Institute, and Justice Fellowship.

The bill is cosponsored by Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Roy Blunt (R-MO), John Cornyn (R-Tex.), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Mark Kirk (R-IL), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ed Markey (D-MA), John McCain (R-AZ), Patty Murray (D-WA), Rob Portman (R-OH), Mark Pryor (D-AR), Pat Roberts (R-KS), Marco Rubio (R-FL), and Pat Toomey (R-PA). A one-page summary of the legislation can be found here, and the bill text can be found here.

While serving as New Hampshire's Attorney General, Senator Ayotte worked with law enforcement and a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers to adopt the Online Child Safety Act, which modernized New Hampshire's child enticement laws - toughening criminal penalties for sexual predators who use computer technology to exploit and victimize children. As Attorney General, she worked to educate children and parents about the dangers posed by online predators, distributing an Internet Safety Guide through schools across New Hampshire and giving presentations to parents, teens, and schools across the state. She also supported the New Hampshire Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, a group of federal, state and local law enforcement officers who focus on the investigation and prosecution of sexual predators who create and traffic in images of child sexual abuse.

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