Child pornography laws would be toughened under Senate bill

Hawaii’s child pornography laws would be strengthened to address possession of particularly violent or egregious images, under a bill in the Legislature.

According to state Attorney General David Louie, current laws do not distinguish between various forms of child pornography, so possession of any type is a Class C felony, subject to five years in prison.

“Child pornography is a permanent record of the actual sexual abuse and assault of innocent and helpless children. In this age of electronic communication and sharing of digital information — and the sexual exploitation of assault on which it is based — is a growing problem around the world,” Louie stated in testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee.

The committee on Tuesday advanced Senate Bill 2221, which extends the potential penalties for those found in possession of pornographic images that include children under age 12, or minors being subjected to sadomasochistic abuse or bestiality.

If the bill is enacted, possession of child pornography could become a Class B felony, doubling the current maximum prison term to 10 years.