By Patrick Noaker
Child Protection News Blog
November 16, 2010
http://childprotectionnews.com/
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An 11 year-old girl in Los Angeles California is awarded a $5.4 Million verdict for damages relating tochild pornography and sexual abuse by family friend and children show director, Andrew West Reid.
On Monday, Judge Joseph Devanon, in the Los Angeles Superior Court, heard evidence in a case involving child pornography and sexual abuse of the 11 year-old that occurred when she was 6 years old. According to the girl’s Los Angeles attorney, Anthony DeMarco (who has handled hundred of Catholic clergy sex abuse cases), Andrew West Reid was a friend of the girl’s family and a renowned director for children’s shows including Jay-Jay The Jet Plane and others. When the girl reported the pornography and abuse, the authorities seized Reid’s computers and found over 500 images that were child pornography. Sixteen (16) of those images were of the girl.
After a trial, the Judge awarded the girl $2.4 Million as damages for the pornography, $500,000 for the sexual abuse and $2.5 Million in punitive damages, for a total of $5.4 Million.
One important aspect of this case was the use of the federal Masha’s Law that creates civil penalties for production, distribution and possession of child pornography. The Judge used the $150,000 per image minimum damage threshold set in Masha’s law to determine the amount to be awarded to the girl for child pornography.
This case illustrates just how serious these cases of child pornography really are. Victims are severely and permanently injured when their images are taken as children and distributed over the internet. This poor girl will probably spend most of her life wondering who has seen these images or her. Great job Judge Devanon for treating this case with the seriousness that it deserved.
About the author: Patrick Noaker is an attorney with the law firm of Jeff Anderson & Associates who handles cases involving child sexual abuse, exploitation and pornography.
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