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Amy Unknown: Fighting Restitution or Redemption?

Imagine asking an average person to describe the lowest, most vulnerable point in his/her life. Now pretend this moment was posted online for billions to download and distribute for their own selfish pleasure. Amys uncle raped her at the age of eight, and distributed images and videos of the rape online. For her entire life Amy has been battling in court trying to make up for the humiliation and the long-term effects caused by the distribution of the pornographic content. Recently, a man confessed to having pornographic content on his computer, including those of Amy. This man goes by the name of Doyle Paroline. Paroline is fighting against the courts to contest that he should not be held responsible for the full restitution of $3.4 million, but that he should only have to pay Amy for the two pictures of her. A total of 70,000 pornographic visuals were found on Parolines computer. A psychiatrist calculated the $3.4 million restitution after using a formula of his/her own including all the potential fees and expenses Amy cannot afford. As stated in Justices Seem Stumped on Calculating Damages of Child Pornography, Amy suffers from serious psychiatric issues because of the distribution of this pornographic content. The National Womens Study proved that rape victims were three times more likely than nonvictims of crime to have ever had a major depressive episode (Kilapatrick 9). Keep in mind, Amys mental issues are not all

diagnostic. Amy struggles with constant paranoia, low self-esteem, and trust issues. The personality issues that Amy struggles with (low self-esteem and trust issues) can sometimes lead to suicide attempts and substance abuse. The exploitation has led Amy to feel completely mortified and vulnerable every time she shows herself in public. Her constant thoughts of paranoia and feelings of humiliation cause her to wonder how many people around her have seen the images/videos. Some 35,000 images of her have been found in 3,200 child pornography cases according to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (Wetzstein 6). The release of the pornographic content has stooped Amys confidence so low that she struggles to enter a professional interview with the necessary strength and dignity to impress a potential employer. The restitution that is to be paid to Amy will be spent towards expenses because of her medication and therapy sessions. A column by Cheryl Wetzstein in The Washington Times shared Amys personal statement: Every day of my life, I live in constant fear that someone will see my pictures and recognize me and that I will be humiliated all over again. Amys consistent thoughts of depression and humiliation will influence her for the rest of her life. The restitution is necessary so Amy can continue attending therapy and taking necessary medication. . A 1994 federal law allows the victims of child pornography to seek restitution from people convicted of viewing images of their abuse. Amys lawyers say her losses which include a lifetime of therapy, lost income and legal bills, add up to $3.4 million (Liptak 5). This law holds offenders responsible specifically for the damage they have caused to the defendant. This makes it very unclear as to how much restitution is owed by each possessor and viewer. It

can be claimed that Paroline is responsible for Amys legal bills, psychological care, medication, and loss of income, but it is impossible to accurately calculate just how much Paroline himself has influenced Amys court fees, psychological standing, and the inability for Amy to get a job. Due to the high confusion of calculations on this specific case, the Supreme Court is considering revising the 1994 law to make it more specific and more comprehensive. On the other hand, the confusion can be taken advantage of by defendants like Amy. The 1994 law can be twisted and proven to hold most offenders responsible for the calculated restitution. The high financial risk associated with the 1994 law that pornographers are exposed to after being caught can be very discouraging to those who distribute, produce, and view child pornography. The fact that pornographers are potentially liable for restitution to the victim and longterm prison sentences really exemplifies the long-term effects child pornography can have on a victim like Amy. In turn, to avoid foggy, confusing cases like Paroline vs. Supreme Court, a specific formula should be created to calculate restitution owed in future cases. For now, Amys lawyer can calculate the accurate restitution by looking at Amys past expenses. The legal bills that Amy is responsible for are most likely ranging in the hundreds of thousands. Amy is responsible for paying a lawyer, and each time she appears in court there is a steep court fee to pay along with possible travel fees depending on the trial location. Therefore, not only does Amy have to pay for therapy and medication, but also for the loss of income and all the court fees. Amys lawyer who also serves as a formal federal judge, argued, Amy was entitled to collect all $3.4 million from Mr. Paroline (Liptak 9). Amys Lawyer also expressed that the 1994 law allows the victim to collect the full restitution from the owner/distributor of the pornographic content. . In conclusion, Doyle Paroline should be, without a doubt, held responsible for the approximate $3.36 million restitution for the distribution of pornographic content. Paroline is 100 percent guilty of committing a federal crime, and arguing otherwise is just silly. Parolines wrongdoings have taken a serious toll on the victim of the case. The fact that the federal law clearly states that a victim can collect the full restitution from a pornographer clearly shoots down the counterargument. Paroline deserves to be held accountable for the actions he committed by collecting and distributing the pornographic content involving Amy as an eight-year-old chil

Works Cited
Binford, Warren. "Paroline decision will have worldwide impact." Statesman Journal. 25 Jan. 2014. Web. 28 Jan. 2014. http://www.statesmanjournal.com/article/20140126/OPINION/3012600 35/Paroline-decision-will-worldwide-impact Kilpatrick, D. G. (2000). Mental Health Impact of Rape. Retrieved April 30, 2014, from https://www.musc.edu/vawprevention/research/mentalimpact.shtml Liptak, Adam. "Justices Seem Stumped On Calculating Damages Over Child Pornography." The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia. 22 Jan. 2014. Web. 28 Jan. 2014. http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/23/us/justices-struggle-to -determine-restitution-over-child-pornography.html?_r=1

Sherman, Mark. "Supreme Court To Rule On Child Pornography Restitution." The Huffington Post. N.p., 21 Jan. 2014. Web. 28 Jan. 2014. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/21/supreme-court-childpornography_n_4636658.html?utm_hp_ref=politics>. Wetzstein, Cheryl. "Supreme Court battle over what child pornography viewer owes victim - Washington Times." The Washingtion Times. N.p., 20 Jan. 2014. Web. 30 Jan. 2014.

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