AUSTIN – Legislation targeting those in possession of child pornography passed unanimously out of the Texas House Committee on Technology, Economic Development and Workforce Monday. State Rep. Chris Turner [D-Tarrant County] filed the legislation, House Bill 2397, which would require computer technicians who discover child pornography to report their findings to local law enforcement.

Currently, more than 30 professions in Texas, including photo processing, are required to report child pornography.

“By requiring computer technicians to report the discovery of child pornography, we are giving law enforcement one more tool to help fight this heinous crime,” Turner said. “We need to do everything possible to protect our children from child predators, and this is one more step in the right direction.”

HB 2397 joint authors include Reps. Patricia Harless, Rob Eissler, Tan Parker and Kristi Thibaut.

According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, 40 percent of those found to possess child pornography also commit sexual abuse of children.

“As a law enforcement officer involved in investigating sexual predators, I often depend upon people to notify me when they discover suspected child pornography,” said Andy Bryant, a senior support specialist with the Tarrant County Sheriff’s Department. “These pictures and videos are not just images on a computer screen; they are evidence of abuse and victimization. The more ways we have to find these predators and perpetrators, means the more people we can put behind bars. Ultimately, that means fewer children who will become victims.”

Similar laws have been passed in at least eight states. In many cases, computer technicians have been instrumental in the discovery of child pornography:

Minneapolis, Minn. (2008): Best Buy’s Geek Squad received a hard drive to recover data from a middle school janitor. In the course of the recovery the technician found more than 800 pornographic images of girls between the ages of 7 and 15.

Kissimmee, Fla. (2008): A retired businessman in Florida sent his computer to a technician to have the hard drive recovered. The technician discovered child pornography in the course of transferring files and called local law enforcement.

New Brittain, Conn. (2008): An alert from a computer technician led to a police investigation that uncovered photos and videotapes of young children being drugged and raped.

Portland, Maine (2007): A man was convicted after a technician discovered he had hundreds of pornographic images of children.

House Bill 2397 will be sent to the House Committee on Calendars for consideration on the floor of the Texas House of Representatives.

The text of the bill is here.