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NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 16, 2004
CONTACT: Diane Gramley 1.814.271.9078 or 1.814.437.5355
ANTI-VIOLENCE GROUP CALLS FOR INTERNET FILTERS ON PHILADELPHIA'S LIBRARY COMPUTERS
(Philadelphia) -- The brutal rape of an 8-year-old girl in the bathroom of the Philadelphia Free Library's Independence branch is yet another example of the dangers of Internet porn. The confessed attacker, Brian McCutcheon, has also admitted he regularly used pornography on the library's computer. The American Family Association of Pennsylvania (AFA of PA) has sent a faxed request to Elliot Shelkrot, Director of the Free Library of Philadelphia system and strongly urged them to protect patrons by placing filters on all their computers. Today the anti-violence group also sent a request to Philadelphia Mayor John Street asking him to take steps to require filters on all city library computers with Internet access.
"The library has set up an 'educational fund,' for the victim, which is very commendable, but it is not enough. What about the next victim of someone who is viewing pornography on the library's unfiltered computers -- the ending may be even more tragic," Diane Gramley, president of the AFA of PA said today.
"This is yet another example of the direct link between pornography use and sexual assault. The attacker was feeding his compulsion through the use of pornography and the life of an 8-year-old girl has been irreversible changed, " Gramley continued.
Pornography not only destroys the user, but the victims of this so-called 'victimless crime.' The victims can include family members or, as in this case, a stranger. This tragic incident must be a wake-up call to the inherent dangers of Internet pornography and steps must be taken to protect the libraries' patrons.
"Little known to those visiting the library on Saturday, February 7, that a monster had been created and was being fed through the use of Internet porn on the library's computer. The confessed attacker is just as much a victim as the 8-year-old who is still lying in the hospital in critical condition. The burden now lies on the shoulders of Mayor Street and Director Shelkrot. The necessary steps must be taken and filters must be installed to prevent future 'monsters' from being created with the aid of the library system," Gramley concluded.
Last year the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that libraries receiving e-funds must install filters. The Court recognizes the inherent danger of unbridled access to Internet porn. The AFA of PA hopes that Mayor John Street and Director Shelkrot will also see the danger and move to have filters install on the city's library system computers.
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