Latest news with #NationalCenteronSexualExploitation
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Yahoo
Anti-porn center files four Kansas lawsuits alleging violation of state's age-verification law
Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach filed a lawsuit earlier this year against an internet pornography company that failed to adhere to a state law requiring deployment of age-verification systems to prevent anyone younger than 18 to access content. An anti-pornography organization in Washington, D.C., more recently filed four federal lawsuits in Kansas comparable to action taken by the state attorney general. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector) TOPEKA — A bundle of federal lawsuits in Kansas have been filed on behalf of a 14-year-old Olathe resident alleging owners of online businesses violated a state law mandating steps be taken to prevent minors from accessing pornography lacking scientific, artistic or political value. The law center of the National Center on Sexual Exploitation, a conservative anti-pornography organization in Washington, D.C., collaborated with a Hutchinson law firm to file suit on behalf of minor Q.R. and his mother Jane Doe against Techpump Solutions' Titan Websites and In each instance, the lawsuits allege, a company failed to comply with a state law that took effect July 1, 2024, requiring deployment of age verification systems on pornography websites to block consumers under the age of 18. The court documents asserted Q.R. used one of his mother's old laptops to access internet pornography from the four companies more than 170 times from August to October 2024. 'Kansas law requires pornography companies to implement reasonable age verification methods, and the companies named in these lawsuits failed to do so,' said Dani Pinter, director of the legal division of the National Center on Sexual Exploitation. In January, Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach filed a similar lawsuit in Shawnee County District Court against Seattle-based SARJ LLC, which distributed pornography on more than a dozen websites and was purportedly owned by individuals who controlled Kobach asserted in the state court filing that SARJ didn't make use of age-gating technology that would 'protect Kansas children from the negative health consequences that stem from unfettered access to pornography.' The federal lawsuits filed by Joshua Ruhlmann, a Hutchinson attorney, claimed the website content accessed by Q.R. was harmful because it had a tendency to appeal to a minor's prurient interest in sex, was offensive to prevailing standards with respect to what was suitable for minors and lacked serious literary, scientific, educational, artistic or political value for a viewer under age 18. Specifically, one of the federal lawsuits alleged at least one-fourth of webpages viewed during a calendar month included 'material containing nudity, sexual conduct, sexual excitement and/or sadomasochistic abuse.' That court filing said minors who visited the website were asked to click an 'I AGREE' button, which ostensibly verified the user was over the age of 18. That site warned users the company's content was restricted to consumers reached the age majority in the jurisdiction in which they resided. 'Despite expressly aiming their websites at Kansas citizens, defendants have failed to ensure that and/or comply with Kansas law which requires pornographic websites to employ age verification measures,' the suit said. The National Center on Sexual Exploitation, previously known as Morality in Media, has lobbied against sex trafficking, same-sex marriage, decriminalization of sex work, comprehensive sex education and works of art that could be viewed as obscene. Pinter said the family serving as plaintiffs in the organization's lawsuits in U.S. District Court in Kansas 'deserves every measure of justice.' 'It is unreasonably dangerous for these pornography websites to provide this product which they know is harmful to children, that children are drawn to access, and do access, without employing age verification as required by Kansas law,' she said. In April 2024, Gov. Laura Kelly allowed the age-verification bill to become law without her signature. It was approved unanimously in the Senate and 92-31 by the House. Kelly said the pornography statute could 'end up infringing on constitutional rights' of Kansans and inspire lawsuits against the state.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Yahoo
Non-profit sues porn sites for alleged Kansas law violation
Video originally aired Jan. 14, 2025. KANSAS (KSNT) – A national non-profit has filed lawsuits against four porn websites for allegedly failing to follow a newly established Kansas law that requires porn sites to verify users age. The National Center on Sexual Exploitation filed the suit against the sites, which 27 News is choosing not to name. The suits claim a Kansas parent found their 14-year-old had been accessing hardcore pornography on various adult websites, according to a news release from the organization. 'Kansas law requires pornography companies to implement reasonable age verification methods, and the companies named in these lawsuits failed to do so,' said Dani Pinter, senior vice president and director of the organization's Law Center. Why are flags to fly at half staff on Thursday in Kansas? Last year, the Republican-controlled Kansas Legislature passed Senate Bill 394, which requires websites to have age verification to prevent minors from accessing harmful content. Several other states have enacted age-verification laws since 2022 — Texas, Arkansas, Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Utah and Virginia. The Kansas bill makes it a violation of state consumer protection laws for a website to fail to verify that a Kansas visitor is 18 if the website has material 'harmful to minors.' The attorney general may choose to go to court seeking a fine of up to $10,000 for each violation. Parents can also sue for damages of at least $50,000. 'It is unreasonably dangerous for these pornography websites to provide this product which they know is harmful to children, that children are drawn to access, and do access, without employing age verification as required by Kansas law,' Pinter said. 'Our plaintiff deserves every measure of justice.' Petition started to overturn parole for 'cop killer' Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach filed a lawsuit against a company with over a dozen adult websites, alleging it failed to abide by the age verification law. The sites are different than those the non-profit is suing. Kobach's suit hasn't been resolved. For more Kansas news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Fox News
11-04-2025
- Business
- Fox News
President Trump's Tariff Pause Turns Trade Upside Down
On Wednesday, President Donald Trump announced a flat 10% tariff on imports entering the United States, which will remain in effect for at least 90 days. The administration reports that over 75 countries have expressed interest in initiating trade talks. However, China is the exception; products imported from China are now subject to a 145% tariff. Karl Rove, a FOX News Contributor and former Deputy Chief of Staff to George W. Bush, joins to discuss these tariffs, the concerns some individuals have about their impact, and the administration's efforts to appeal to working-class voters. First Lady Melania Trump recently took part in a roundtable event at the Capitol to support the 'Take It Down Act'. This legislation aims to prohibit the intentional publication of sexually exploitative images, including AI-generated deepfakes. An increasing number of states are implementing their own laws to tackle this growing problem. Hayley McNamara, Senior Vice President at the nonprofit National Center on Sexual Exploitation, joins to explain the 'Take It Down Act' and emphasize how easily individuals can become targets of such exploitation. Plus, commentary from senior fellow at the Ronald Reagan Institute and Former Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services, Tevi Troy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Obscene content filter bill stalls in Senate Judiciary
House Bill 408, brought by Rep. Amy Regier, R-Kalispell, seeks to block obscene content from reaching children. (Getty Images) Following passage of laws last session requiring adult websites to require age verification, a bill in the Montana Legislature seeks to go a step further and add a filter on electronic devices. House Bill 408, brought by Rep. Amy Regier, R-Kalispell, seeks to block obscene content from reaching children and establishes liability for someone who removes the filter as well the device manufacturer. The bill was tabled in the Senate Judiciary Committee, though it could come back. 'Nothing is truly considered dead until sine die,' Regier said. Protection from content deemed harmful to children, especially surrounding technology, has been key to a number of bills this session. 'Parents have the ultimate responsibility to train their children in moral and character development. Modern technology has potential for great good but also harm. Montana can help parents and protect our children,' Regier said in an emailed comment to the Daily Montanan. 'Requiring a device filter to be activated for all minors helps to safeguard against obscene content. Obscene content that can lead to risky behaviors, addictions and vulnerability to sexual predators.' The bill passed the House 82-19 on third reading to move it over to the Senate, with the dissent including a mix of Republicans and Democrats. In its Senate hearing, proponents included the National Center on Sexual Exploitation, the Montana Family Foundation and Alex Sterhan with the Montana Department of Justice. Former Republican Montana State Rep. Scott Reichner, speaking for the National Center on Sexual Exploitation, said the legislation would help with the 'mass spread of human trafficking in the state.' Opponents to the bill included the Taxpayers Protection Alliance, the Montana Chamber of Commerce, the Parkview Institute — an organization that supports economic freedom — as well as the Computer & Communications Industry Association. Their argument was HB 408 was a barrier to businesses and an increase in potential liability. 'HB 408 presents serious technical and legal issues. Internet service providers, not device manufacturers, are the ones equipped to manage content access,' Aodhan Downey, state policy manager for CCIA, said in a statement. 'Requiring a state-specific default filter not only creates unworkable compliance challenges but also leaves many devices — especially those without location-tracking or that are sold online — beyond the bill's regulatory reach. 'What's more, the bill imposes steep penalties based on vague determinations of obscenity, leaving businesses to either over-filter lawful content or face costly litigation.' Some opponents stated it would stifle competition or could wrongly censor classical artwork that contains nudity. A similar bill has floated around the Utah Legislature. Legislators in Senate Judiciary supported the spirit of the bill, but did have some concerns. 'I think it's a great effort, but I don't think it's the solution,' Sen. Cora Neumann, D-Bozeman, said on April 8 when the committee took executive action on the bill. Sen. Theresa Manzella, R-Hamilton, said she was originally going to support the bill, saying she did recognize the state had a 'very serious problem' with minors accessing obscene content. But 'untended consequences' on device manufacturers helped sway her decision. 'I think we have done some very good work in this body in past sessions and the reports are that it's working,' Manzella said during executive action. 'Another issue is that I support parental rights, and I support parental responsibility to parent their children and work through these issues with their children.' Billings Republican Sens. Sue Vinton and Barry Usher voted in favor of moving the legislation to the floor.
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Andrew Tate heads to Romania to meet legal obligations
Online influencer Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan have left the United States for Romania on a private flight to fulfil legal obligations related to a criminal investigation against them, they said. The brothers are under investigation in Romania on accusations of forming an organised criminal group, human trafficking, trafficking of minors, sexual intercourse with a minor and money laundering. They have denied all wrongdoing. "Spending $US185,000 ($A294,132) on a private jet across the Atlantic to sign one single piece of paper in Romania," Tate posted on social media platform X. "Innocent men don't run. They clear their name in court." Spending 185,000 dollars on a private jet across the Atlantic to sign one single piece of paper in men don't run. THEY CLEAR THEIR NAME IN COURT 😉 — Andrew Tate (@Cobratate) March 21, 2025 As part of preventative judicial control measures pending the investigation, the Tates are required to regularly check in with police. Their next check-in is due on March 24. Their return from Florida comes three weeks after Romanian prosecutors lifted a travel ban against them. A US source familiar with the matter acknowledged that Washington had pressed Bucharest to give the brothers, who have dual US and British citizenship, their passports and allow them to travel. Andrew Tate's media team said they would arrive at their home near the Romanian capital Bucharest late at night local time. Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier said on March 4 his office had opened a criminal investigation against the brothers, a move welcomed by the National Center on Sexual Exploitation, which represents one of Tate's alleged victims, a Florida resident. Tate said on X at the time that the brothers had returned to Miami to see family and been insulted by the opening of the investigation. "We have no criminal record and expected a hero's welcome after being unfairly abused abroad," he posted. On Thursday, UltraViolet, a national women-led gender-justice organisation put up "Unwanted" posters across Miami, demanding that the Tates be extradited. An initial criminal case against Tate and his brother failed in December when a Bucharest court decided not to start the trial and sent the files back to prosecutors, citing flaws in the indictment. A British arrest warrant has also been issued for the Tates and they will be extradited after Romanian trial proceedings are completed. The allegations in Britain - denied by them - relate to sexual aggression between 2012 and 2015.
