http://www.complex.com/tech/2012/05/viewing-child-porn-is-now-legal-in-new-york

In a downright puzzling, frightening, and controversial decision, the New York Court of Appeals on Tuesday ruled that it is now legal to view child pornography on the Internet.

The decision was made after a Marist College professor, James D. Kent was sentenced to prison in 2009 after more than 100 images of child porn was found on his computer.

"The purposeful viewing of child pornography on the Internet is now legal in New York," wrote Senior Judge Carmen Beauchamp Ciparick.

It is still illegal to create and distribute child porn in New York. It's also still illegal to download child porn. According to MSNBC, the ruling was made to distinguish between those who just view child pornography online, perhaps accidentally, from those who actively download the files to their computer. Ciparick continued:

"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. To hold otherwise, would extend the reach of (state law) to conduct—viewing—that our Legislature has not deemed criminal."

We sincerely feel this decision needs to be appealed once more. We get that the court doesn't want people who accidentally stumble onto child porn to go to jail, but how many times have you found yourself accidentally looking at kiddie porn? Where's Chris Hansen when you need him?

 :barf: :barf: :barf:

I know a man who absolutely can't stop himself from clicking on any lewd
image that appears on his screen. I was helping him "debug" his computer
when I saw this behavior, and I told him that could be where he's getting
the virus problem he's been having.

He told me he confesses his voyeurism to a priest, so he thinks he's
okay. Well, no, if you don't take any steps to control yourself in the
future, you have to start questioning if you have any firm purpose of
amendment. If you go to confession without a desire and commitment
to avoid the near occasion of sin, then your confession is INVALID.

Pornography of all kinds, including child porn, is a HUGE problem on the
Internet. How many souls are going to hell now that porn is so readily
accessible? Time was you had to park your car, and walk into a porn
shop before you could get it. Or you had to make a phone call or mail a
letter to order some. Now, it comes at you with "popup windows" whenever
you're using your computer. And the more you click on it, the more it
pops up! No pun intended. Really.

The only way to get rid of the problem, the "near occasion of sin," for some, is
to stop using the computer.

Short of that, get a new computer and never click on anything that even
remotely looks like it could be related to a porn site.

For my friend, it seems to be impossible. He says he wants to be in the
state of grace, but then he shows me pictures he has collected, sort of like
Vargas Girls, and he says, "These are art." I told him, "These are porn!"
He argues that they're not porn.

You see, this is the problem we get into when art museums and art stores feature
lewd images. This is the problem we get into when New York makes child
porn legal to view on your computer. It gives weak souls an excuse.
Someone in authority has said it's okay, so now I can do it.

You can do it, and you can go to hell, too. Is it worth it?

You can't just accidentally run into child porn in the net. Pornography yes, but not child porn.

Sorry. I wouldn't know about that ...