A bill that advanced this week through a committee in the Arkansas Senate would give a new, “more accurate” legal name for child pornography.
State Rep. Charlene Fite (R) sponsored legislation in the Arkansas House of Representatives before presenting it to the state Senate Wednesday. Arguing the term “child pornography” doesn’t adequately describe the severity of the crimes committed, the bill would change it in the Arkansas code to “child sexual abuse material” (CSAM), according to KARK-TV.
Listen to the latest episode of CBN’s Quick Start podcast 👇
“Using [child sexual abuse material] would put the emphasis on the crime committed against the child,” the state lawmaker said, adding, “A child cannot consent.”
Changing the wording from “child pornography” to “child sexual abuse material,” Fite explained, could “make prosecution of those who commit these heinous crimes easier,” because it places the emphasis on the child and his or her abuse, rather than on the presence of pornography.
The bill was praised by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
“Call it what it is,” the nonprofit stated. “Not ‘child porn,’ which belittles the abuse the child experienced. CSAM makes it clear these are crime scene materials of the sexual abuse of a child.”
Fite told reporters she was inspired to advocate for the change in terminology after meeting with Colleen Nick, CEO of the Morgan Nick Foundation, a nonprofit working with minors who have survived sexual abuse and exploitation.
Nick praised the legislation in a statement of her own.
“CSAM, or child sexual abuse material, is being widely used at the national level to describe the truth of what is happening to children,” she said. “While the term ‘child pornography’ is still widely used by the public, it’s more accurate to call it what it is: evidence of child sexual abuse.”
Fite said she believes the legislation will easily become law.
***As the number of voices facing big-tech censorship continues to grow, please sign up for Faithwire’s daily newsletter and download the CBN News app, developed by our parent company, to stay up-to-date with the latest news from a distinctly Christian perspective.***