Number: RS21463
Title: Child Pornography: Comparison of Selected Provisions of S. 151 and H.R. 1161 with Brief Comments on their Constitutionality
Authors: Henry Cohen, American Law Division 
Abstract: In Ashcroft v. Free Speech Coalition, the Supreme Court declared unconstitutional the federal child pornography statute to the extent that it prohibited material that was produced without the use of an actual child. The case held, in other words, that pornography produced without the use of a minor, whether drawn or painted, computer-generated, or produced only with adult actors, is protected by the First Amendment, even if it appears to portray a minor, unless it is obscene. In response to this decision, the Senate passed S. 151, 108th Congress, and the House will consider H.R. 1161, 108th Congress. This report compares selected provisions of these bills and comments on their constitutionality.
Pages: 4
Date: Updated March 27, 2003