Viewing Child Porn Now Legal In New York

NY Court: Purposeful Viewing Of Online Child Pornography Not A Crime

According to an overwhelmingly controversial ruling from the New York Court Of Appeals, the viewing of online child pornography is not a crime.

“The purposeful viewing of child pornography on the internet is now legal in New York,” Senior Judge Carmen Beauchamp Ciparick stated in a majority decision for the court.

The ruling came in relation to the case regarding James Kent, a Marist College professor sentenced in 2009 after authorities discovered over 100 images of child porn had been viewed on his computer, the remnants of which were stored in his cache files.

According to MSNBC, the ruling makes an effort to distinguish between those who see an image of child pornography online and those who download and store such images.

“[S]ome affirmative act is required (printing, saving, downloading, etc.) to show that defendant in fact exercised dominion and control over the images that were on his screen,” Ciparick wrote. “To hold otherwise, would extend the reach of (state law) to conduct — viewing — that our Legislature has not deemed criminal.”

Click here to view a full copy of the court’s ruling

Read More: Huffpo