New U.K. Laws Combat Violent Porn

LONDON – Nearly three years after Jane Longhurst was strangled by a sex-addict in Britain, the British Government today announced plans for new laws to combat violent Internet pornography.

Major efforts to clamp down on violent porn sites in Britain took off in 2003, on the heels of Longhurst’s murder and in response to pressure from the victim’s mother. Longhurst had been strangled with a pair of tights by Graham Coutts, an amateur musician who police say was propelled by a seven-year obsession with necrophilia and asphyxial sex.

Court documents report Coutts had hundreds of images related to his obsessions on his computer when he killed the 31-year-old special-needs teacher.

Though producing extreme adult websites has been illegal in Britain for years, viewing such sites has not, leading analysts to speculate that the planned laws will cover viewing, ostensibly placing such sites on the same legal platform as child pornography.

How British officials will enforce such a law remains to be seen, however, as most extreme sites are hosted in countries with little or no obscenity regulations.

Public opinion differs on the effects of violent pornography, as does the scientific research. University of Michigan Law professor Catharine MacKinnon and author Andrea Dworkin have written volumes claiming not only that pornography leads to violence against women, but also that the making of pornography involves violence against women.

Meanwhile, sociologist Richard Felson points out that rapists tend to have less exposure to pornography than most, and, according to University of Copenhagen criminology professor Dr. Berl Kuchinsky, data on the viewing of rape and other violent or sexual material has shown no obvious effects on behavior. “[Where violent pornography] has become widely and easily available during the period we have dealt with would seem to exclude, beyond any reasonable doubt, that this availability has not had any detrimental effects in the form of increased sexual violence," Kuchinsky wrote in a recent criminology study. “This finding is not so strange. Most other research data we have about pornography and rape suggests that pornography does not represent a blueprint for violence.”

Meanwhile, The Jane Longhurst Campaign Against Violent Internet Pornography has, according to the BBC, received 32,000 signatures so far in its campaign to ban extreme adult websites in the UK.

Copyright © 2024 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

Nebraska AV Bill Moves Forward Despite Privacy, Free Speech Concerns

Nebraska’s unicameral Legislature has given first-round approval to LB 1092, the state’s version of the age verification bills being sponsored around the country by anti-porn religious conservative activists.

AEBN Celebrates 25th Anniversary

The Adult Entertainment Broadcast Network (AEBN) is celebrating its 25th year in business this week.

Performers in Meta Blacklisting Lawsuit Seek to Preserve Antitrust Claims

Adult Performance Artists Guild board officers Alana Evans, Kelly Pierce and Ruby have informed a California court that, although they want to drop their lawsuit claiming that Meta conspired with OnlyFans to blacklist rival premium fan platforms’ talent, they may still pursue antitrust claims in the future.

FSC, Co-Plaintiffs to Ask US Supreme Court to Review Constitutionality of Texas Age Verification Law

Free Speech Coalition (FSC) and its co-plaintiffs in the challenge to Texas’ controversial age verification law have petitioned the United States Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit to stay its recent decision upholding the law, because they intend to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court to review the law’s constitutionality.

FSC Vows to Fight Florida Age Verification Law

Free Speech Coalition (FSC) has issued a statement vowing to continue fighting Florida’s new age verification law, which was signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday as part of a comprehensive bill targeting minors’ use of social media.

Kansas Republican Aims to Create New Bureaucracy to 'Investigate' Porn Websites

Republican state legislators succeeded Monday in moving forward Kansas’ version of the age verification bills being sponsored around the country by anti-porn religious conservative activists, despite serious concerns raised by House Democrats about the cost of establishing a new bureaucracy tasked with investigating websites for pornographic content.

SK Intertainment Launches 'Skinfluential Management' Agency, FansFuel Joint Venture

Mr. Skin/Mr. Man parent company SK Intertainment has launched new creator agency Skinfluential Management, as well as a new joint venture with Showbizz Media's creator stats and affiliate marketing platform, FansFuel.

Industry Attorney, Free Speech Champion Clyde DeWitt Passes Away at 75

Noted industry attorney Clyde DeWitt passed away on Friday in Las Vegas at 75, according to friends and colleagues.

APClips Names Avery Jane 'Creator of the Month'

APClips has named Avery Jane its Creator of the Month for March.

JustFor.fans Offers Gumroad Users Platform to Sell NSFW Artwork

JustFor.fans (JFF) is offering Gumroad users a platform to sell NSFW artwork after the latter banned adult content.

Show More