Victims, therapists and activists applaud novel move

Judge seeks financial restitution for child porn victim

Illicit pixs of her at age 8 are among “most widely circulated” ever

Advocates hope that greater awareness of new federal law will help

Making kiddie porn cost, not pay, is best way to deter such crimes, groups say

WHAT
Holding large graphs and photos at a news conference, an expert, a therapist, an attorney and an abuse victim will
-- praise a St. Paul judge for his unprecedented move to try and get financial restitution for a child porn victim from a man who downloaded her image,
-- explain a rarely-used federal law that opens the door for child porn victims to get help by bringing federal civil lawsuits,
-- urge judicial and law enforcement professionals to educate the public about this new legal avenue to help deter future child sex crimes and help those suffering because of child porn, and
-- describe the widespread and growing problem of child pornography.

WHEN
Wednesday, Jan. 6, 11:00 a.m. (Central time)

WHERE
At the law office of Jeff Anderson, 366 Jackson (corner of Fifth) in downtown St. Paul MN

WHO
A nationally recognized prevention expert, prominent therapist, nationally known attorney for child sex victims and a local child sex abuse victim who heads the state chapter of a support group called SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAPnetwork.org).

DETAIL
In an unprecedented move, on Monday, a St. Paul judge sought financial restitution for a Minnesota woman whose uncle took illegal pictures of her as a kid, photos that prosecutors say are among the most widely circulated child porn pictures in the nation.

That offender, Brandon Anthony Buchanan, has been convicted of child porn.

District Judge Patrick Schiltz has given Assistant U.S. Attorney John Marti until Jan. 29 to either seek compensation for the victim or explain to him why he isn’t doing so. Schiltz said prosecutors are now required to do this.

In July 2006, a little-known and rarely-used federal statute took effect that provides a civil remedy for those victimized by child pornography. Advocates want more law enforcement and judicial staffers to educate citizens and child porn victims about that option.

News conference participants include prevention expert Cordelia Anderson M.A. (co-director of the Sexual Health and Responsibility Project), counselor Walter Bera (director of Kenwood Therapy Center), abuse victim Bob Schwiderski (Minnesota director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests), and attorney Jeff Anderson, who has represented hundreds of child sex abuse victims.

http://www.startribune.com/local/stpaul/80672902.html

http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2010/01/05/child-porn-restitution/

CONTACT
Attorney Jeff Anderson 651 227 9990 (work) or 612 817 8665 (cell), Bob Schwiderski of SNAP 612 840 9270, David Clohessy of SNAP 314 566 9790