Sheriff, Rep. Arciero File Bill Targeting Assets of Child Predators

State Representative James Arciero and Middlesex Sheriff Peter J. Koutoujian have filed a bill targeting those convicted in child pornography and child enticement cases, allowing for the seizure of assets tied to those crimes, according to an announcement.

The proposal (House Bill 1148: An Act Regarding Asset Forfeiture) would allow state and county prosecutors to petition courts at the end of successful prosecutions to seize the assets of individuals used in the commission of these crimes after conviction.

“We must have a zero tolerance for those who would engage in child pornography and enticement, some of the most heinous crimes in society. This common sense measure will provide a new source of funding to help prevent future cases of abuse and protect children from these dangerous predators,” said State Representative James Arciero in a statement.

If approved by the court, items that were used for the production, storage or dissemination of child pornography would be seized, wiped of its contents and sold. Proceeds from the sales would fund programs aimed at Internet safety education, victim rehabilitation and therapy, and the purchase of technical equipment for law enforcement agencies.

“It’s vitally important our laws evolve to keep up with the crimes they are designed to address,” said Sheriff Koutoujian in the announcement. “With the permission of the court, items used to entice minors or produce or disseminate child pornography should be forfeited to help fund programs to prevent future cases of abuse. There is nothing more important than protecting our children and ensuring we give our law enforcement agencies the necessary tools to pursue child pornographers as aggressively as possible.”

The law, said the announcement, is modeled on existing statutes that allow for the seizure of property in cases dealing with controlled substances and human trafficking and offers an additional source of funds to address issues of child pornography and child enticement.

The bill has 18 bipartisan House co-sponsors and is currently before the Joint Committee on the Judiciary awaiting the determination of a public hearing date.