ISTANBUL - The 1,875 million lira fine which was given to a teacher who traded in child pornography on the internet in Bursa, showed the defencelessness of children against the porn merchants.
The penalties given to child pornography merchants in the USA and Europe are so severe that they can't even be compared to examples in Turkey. In the USA, someone accused of trading child pornography on the internet was given a 1,335 year prison sentence, and in Northern Ireland someone who had child pornography photographs in his house was sentenced to 6 months in prison.
The world's biggest child pornography network, based in Texas, was smashed. It was stated that the web site owned by the 'Landslide' company - founded by Thomas Reedy - had 250 thousand subscribers, and that there was even a four-year-old girl among the children who were molested. Reedy, whose company's branches extended as far as Russia and Indonesia, and who earned 1.4 million dollars (about 1.9 trillion lira) every month from sales of pornographic images, was sentenced to a total of 1,335 years; his wife Janice got 14 years.
In the state of California, following a tip-off from an informant, a police raid was arranged on the house of high court member, 61-year-old judge Ronald C. Cline. Police searching Kline's house seized 2 computers and 116 CDs. It was revealed that the CDs contained images of 'sexual abuse' of young boys.
Kline was first arrested, then freed on 50 thousand dollars bail and kept under surveillance in his own house with electronic handcuffs. Kline was also forbidden to use the internet.
According to Interpol, American producers, who take photographs of a million children a year, have created a sector with a gross income of 2000-3000 million dollars. In the USA there is a law which bans trips abroad for child prostitution. According to this law, after taking circumstances into account, punishments from a fine to a 10 year jail sentence are given for this crime.
In Britain's Berkshire in June 1999, computer expert David Chaiken was sentenced to three months in prison for possessing child pornography photographs, and eight months for distributing them. In addition, the verdict also required him to be included in records of sex abusers for 10 years. In Britain, according to the Criminal Trial and Procedure Law which parliament accepted at the end of last year, a 10 year prison sentence is envisaged for this crime.
In the year 2000 in Northern Ireland, 50 thousand child pornography photographs were found on CDs which Carey Lyons had hidden under his bed. Lyons, for 12 crimes related to child pornography manufacture and distribution, was sentenced to a 6-month prison sentence and 12 months house arrest, and was included in police 'records of abusers'.
In March 2001 in the Blue Orchid Operation, carried out in Moscow through the joint efforts of USA customs officers and Moscow police, four Americans and five Russians were arrested for distributing child pornography on the internet.
As for Japan, where - according to Interpol data from a few years ago - 80 percent of all child pornography was produced, for the first time seven people were arrested in November 2000 for carrying out sexual abuse abroad as the result of a law banning child pornography. Among those arrested was a film company's boss who was accused of making Thai children take part in sex films in Tokyo. It has been revealed that after this law came into force in 1999, Japan relinquished its position as the leader in the child pornography sector to Russia, Cyprus, Taiwan and the USA.
In Holland five members of a gang who were engaged in the international child pornography trade were arrested and sentenced to 1.5 - 3 years in prison. Holland is planning to raise the maximum sentence for this crime from four years to six years. The draft law in this subject will also raise the age limit of the law's definition of a child from 16 to 18.
European Union countries envisage serious penalties for child pornography activities over the internet. Despite international laws foreseeing different penalties on this subject in the 15 countries of the EU, in general an average prison sentence of five years is given to child pornographers on the internet. In Belgium, in accordance with a law which came into force in the year 2000, teachers involving their own students in child pornography activities - or parents involving their own children - constitutes a serious crime. If the person committing this crime is a teacher, his sentence will be doubled, in other words, it rises to about 10 years. (Radikal)
ISTANBUL - The punishment given for 'child pornography' has been found lacking by many authorities. Some related opinions are as follows:
Forensic Medicine Society 2nd Specialisation Committee Chairman Prof. Dr. Sevki Sozen: In the years 1998-2000, 1,455 children who had been sexually abused applied to the society. If it is considered that many cases remain secret in Turkey, this figure is extremely high. Of these cases, 1,236 of them were girls, 219 of them were boys. The most frequently exploited age group, making 70% of the total, were children aged from 7 to 11.
Child Exploitation and Negligence International Council member, Istanbul University Forensic Medicine Institute Director Prof. Dr. Sevil Atasoy: 1 out of every 5 children who surf the Internet is confronted with an offer of sex. This is an extremely serious statistic.
Social Services Regional Director Kahraman Eroglu: It is saddening that someone involved in an activity so harmful to children should receive such a light punishment. The deficiencies in the law must be eliminated. (Radikal)
ADNAN KESKŻN
ANKARA - The case of a teacher - arrested for 'trade in child pornography' and merely getting fined - has demonstrated that Turkey must fight more effectively against this crime. However, although 18 months have passed since the United Nations Supplementary Protocol which envisages an international struggle against this crime, the TBMM (Turkish parliament) has not yet ratified it or put it into effect.
The UN protocol, which is still waiting in 17th place to be discussed at the General Assembly, brings the following obligations:
We will do these
Ozgen Imamoglu - who was a tutor in a private school in Bursa - was arrested last year as part of the international 'Landmark Operation' related to child pornography and exploitation. It had been claimed that Imamoglu, in whose house were found numerous child pornography CD's and video cassettes, had raped many children in Bursa and previously Gaziantep (where he had worked before), taken nude photographs of them and traded the photographs on the internet. Imamoglu will be tried for the crime of 'rape' in Gaziantep.