The Current Trend In Pornography: From Adult to Children

I heard these numbers once from a very reliable source – that the top three grossing industries in the world were the trafficking of drugs, firearms, and humans.  Yes, that’s right.  Humans.  We also understand that these humans are being trafficked, for the most part, against their wills; and that a large percentage of them are children.

What is even more troubling is that the production and distribution of child pornography is not necessarily considered human trafficking.  If it were, human trafficking may very well take one of the top two spots as a top grossing industry in the world today.

Today, Public Discourse put out an article entitled End Child Pornography: Enforce Adult Pornography Laws.  The article is extremely informative and posits a credible and viable option for cracking down on the distribution of child pornography.  They propose, along with other experts, that we should direct more of our efforts and resources toward adult pornography laws.  The reasoning is simple. 

Margaret Healy stated in a paper titled “Child Pornography: An International Perspective” that “with the emergence of the use of computers to traffic child pornography, a new and growing segment of producers and consumers is being identified.  They are individuals who may not have a sexual preference for children, but who have seen the gamut of adult pornography and who are searching for more bizarre material.”

In a similar line, Guillermo Canovas makes this profound observation, “Thousands of people are constantly looking for pornography on the web…as their stimulation threshold rises, they feel the need for stronger and stronger material until their search leads them to child pornography.” 

I remember driving into New Orleans one day and observing a billboard next to the Superdome that was advertising a club called Barely Legal.  I remember thinking how outrageous this was, that the owners (Hustler, I believe) were aiming to feed the dissatisfied appetites of pornographers with women who were barely legal.  Their motive and strategy is obvious.  The authorities, however, seem handcuffed when it comes to prosecuting motives and strategies.

The article also states that “since President Obama took office, the Department of Justice has not initiated one adult pornography criminal case.” The investigators are overwhelmed by child pornography cases.  Ironically, these same investigators are reporting that the consumption of adult material leads to consumption of child pornography. 

But we must not fall into the trap of looking to our government to completely stop this heinous crime.  Human emptiness and desire, as history has shown, is stronger than government regulations.  Prohibitory laws mean little to those who are wickedly hungry.  Stopping the behavior is absolutely needed; but aiming at it alone is simply ignorant and inadequate.  The only way to stop wickedness from feeding on children is to overcome it with Christ.  The power of the Gospel is sufficient for this. 

And this is our hope – that Christ both has and will overcome.  He will bring an awful Sword to those who abuse children.  He will bring redemptive healing to those who have been abused.  And, He will offer forgiveness to those who have, in faith, cried out in repentance for mercy.