On March 16, 2009, the Assembly passed a bill (A3762) which requires that information technology professionals and employees of public entities who find child pornography on computers while engaging in their professional duties must report their finding to law enforcement. Any other person (such as a private employee who is not an IT professional) who knows or has reasonable cause to believe that child pornography exists or was transmitted on a computer may report it to law enforcement officers. The bill also prohibits employers from retaliating against a person who makes a report in good faith.
The bill is a part of a 10-bill package aimed at giving law enforcement enhanced abilities to crack down on child Internet crimes. An identical bill (S2698) was introduced to the New Jersey State Senate on March 9, 2009.
Note: This article was published in the April 2009 issue of the New Jersey eAuthority.
