How Can You Tell if a Person is Too Young to be in Your Porn? (Pt 2)

A large black "R" used as the symbol on movies to show that something is rated for mature audiences only.

Welcome back and thanks for joining us again. We’ve been discussing the tricky issue of child porn, and how you can tell if the actors in your porn are actually old enough to consent to what they’re doing. As we mentioned in the previous article, porn found online could be from anywhere, and you have absolutely no way of knowing where it was made, if it was legally or ethically produced, and how young the actors are. So what can you do to ensure that you don’t break the law?

This dilemma comes up in human trafficking debates as well, because the problems of identifying victims are the same. How can you tell if the people in the porn you’re watching are victims of trafficking or willing participants? In most cases, there’s no way to know. A paid performer can act as if they’re being sexually assaulted while sleeping, or act as if they’re being constrained against their will, but that doesn’t mean they’re actually victims. Role-playing a fantasy isn’t the same as being the victim of an assault. As the viewer, however, you have no way of telling the difference.

Studies show that “teen” porn is a top ranking online search

According to PornHub, which is the biggest online porn site in the world, the search term “teen” is the second most searched word on their site, overshadowed only by searches for “lesbian” pornography. So clearly it’s in high demand. But can it get you into trouble? That depends. In reality, legitimate porn sites use the term “teen” to refer to legal teen pornography, in other words: porn featuring performers aged 18, 19, or older, who can pass for young teenagers. This is completely legal to view. But not all porn sites can offer you that assurance.

Legitimate porn sites operating in the US all feature a statement that every performer they feature is 18 years or older, but hosting sites can’t make that same assurance as all of their content is uploaded and shared by users. And while they can claim they remove content that they discover is illegal, they’re notorious for doing exactly the opposite if that particular porn content is driving internet viewers to their site. Then there’s the issue of search engines. Type “teen porn” into Google and what you’ll get back will almost certainly include some child pornography.

Be very careful what you watch online, and what you download

You never know when the contents of your hard drive is going to become public. Many people busted for child pornography had no idea that their secret porn stash was going to be exposed, but life is uncertain. So if we can leave you with one piece of advice it’s this: be very careful! If you think it may be illegal, avoid it! If you’re not sure if the performers are legal adults, avoid it! If they look like kids or they look too young, they probably are, so avoid it! Stick to legal porn sites where you know the producers are required to follow the law.

The decision about whether or not you’re guilty of possessing and distributing child pornography will ultimately fall to a jury. And when it comes to the sexual abuse of children, juries are notoriously harsh. So if you’ve been accused of unknowingly viewing kiddie porn, you’re going to need help from mid-Michigan’s premier sex crime defense attorneys. Call 866 766 5245 immediately and make sure your rights, and your future, are protected!  Our criminal defense team has successfully defended Michigan clients since the last century. You can reach us 24/7 by calling 866- 7NoJail.