LET ME ADDRESS ANOTHER ISSUE THAT CAME UP YESTERDAY IN THE OPENING PHASE OF THIS NOMINATION HEARING AND IT IS THE ISSUE INVOLVING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY. I WANT TO TURN TO THAT ISSUE BECAUSE IT WAS RAISED SEVERAL TIMES PRIMARILY BY THE SENATOR FROM MISSOURI. HE WAS QUESTIONING YOUR SENTENCING RECORD IN CHILD PORNOGRAPHY CASES THAT DO NOT INVOLVE THE PRODUCTION OF PORNOGRAPHIC MATERIAL. I WANTED TO PUT SOME CONTEXT HERE. THE SENATOR FROM MISSOURI HAS SAID IN TWEETS OF YOUR POSITION ON THIS ISSUE " JOE JACKSON HAS A RECORD OF LETTING OFF CHILD PORNOGRAPHY AND HER. --  HAS A RECORD OF LETTING OFF CHILD PORNOGRAPHY AND ARE -- OFFENDERS." I THOUGHT OF THESE CHARGES AS I WATCHED YOU AND YOUR FAMILY LISTENING CLOSELY YESTERDAY. IT MADE ME WONDER HOW YOU FELT AS YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY HEARD THOSE CHARGES THAT YOUR SENTENCING ENDANGER CHILDREN. COULD YOU TELL US WHAT WAS GOING THROUGH YOUR MIND AT THAT POINT? A MOTHER AND A JUDGE WHO HAS HAD TO DEAL WITH THESE CASES, I WAS THINKING THAT NOTHING COULD BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH. THESE ARE SOME OF THE MOST DIFFICULT CASES THAT A JUDGE HAS TO DEAL WITH BECAUSE WE ARE TALKING ABOUT PICTURES OF SEX ABUSE OF CHILDREN. WE ARE TALKING ABOUT GRAPHIC DESCRIPTIONS THAT JUDGES HAVE TO READ AND CONSIDER WHEN THEY DECIDE HOW TO SENTENCE IN THESE CASES AND THERE IS A STATUTE THAT TELLS JUDGES WHAT THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO DO. CONGRESS HAS DECIDED WHAT IT IS THAT JUDGES HAVE TO DO IN THIS OR ANY OTHER CASE. THAT STATUTE DOES NOT SAY " LOOK ONLY AT THE GUIDELINES AND STOP." IT DOES NOT SAY " IMPOSE THE HIGHEST POSSIBLE PENALTY FOR THIS CRIME." THE STATUTE SAYS " CALCULATE THE GUIDELINES, BUT ALSO LOOK AT VARIOUS ASPECTS OF THIS OFFENSE, AND IMPOSE A SENTENCE THAT IS ' SUFFICIENT BUT NOT GREATER THAN NECESSARY'." WHEN I AM DEALING WITH SOMETHING LIKE THIS, IT IS IMPORTANT TO ME TO MAKE SURE THAT THE CHILDREN'S PERSPECTIVE IS REPRESENTED IN MY SENTENCING. FOR EVERY DEFENDANT WHO COMES BEFORE ME AND SUGGESTS AS THEY OFTEN DO THAT THESE CRIMES DO NOT REALLY MATTER, THEY HAVE COLLECTED THESE THINGS ON THE INTERNET AND IT IS FINE, I TELL THEM ABOUT THE VICTIMS WHO HAVE COME TO ME AS A JUDGE. I TELL THEM ABOUT THE ADULTS WHO WERE FORMER CHILD SEX ABUSE VICTIMS WHO TELL ME THEY WILL NEVER HAVE A NORMAL ADULT RELATIONSHIP BECAUSE OF THIS ABUSE. I TELL THEM ABOUT THE ONES WHO SAY " I WENT INTO PROSTITUTION. I FELL INTO DRUGS BECAUSE I WAS TRYING TO SUPPRESS THE HURT THAT WAS DONE TO ME AS AN INFANT." THE ONE THAT WAS THE MOST TELLING TO ME THAT I DESCRIBE IN ALMOST EVERY ONE OF THESE SENTENCINGS, WHEN I LOOK IN THE EYES OF A DEFENDANT WHO IS WEEPING BECAUSE I AM GIVING HIM A SIGNIFICANT SENTENCE, WHAT I SAY TO HIM IS " DO YOU KNOW SOMEONE HAS WRITTEN TO ME AND TOLD ME THAT SHE HAS DEVELOPED A AGOURA PHOBIA, SHE CANNOT LEAVE HER HOUSE -- AGORAPHOBA, SHE CANNOT LEAVE HER HOUSE BECAUSE SHE THINKS EVERYONE SHE SEES WILL HAVE SEEN HER PICTURES ON THE INTERNET AT THE MOST VULNERABLE TIME IN HER LIFE, SO SHE IS PARALYZED?" I TELL THAT STORY TO EVERY CHILD POURING DEFENDANT AS A PART OF MY SENTENCING SO THEY -- CHILD PORN DEFENDANT AS A PART OF MY SENTENCING. THERE IS ONLY A MARKET BECAUSE THERE ARE LOOKERS. YOU ARE CONTRIBUTING TO CHILD SEX ABUSE. ALL OF THE ADDITIONAL RESTRAINTS THAT ARE AVAILABLE IN THE LAW -- I IMPOSE A STRICT SENTENCE AND ALL OF THE ADDITIONAL RESTRAINTS THAT ARE AVAILABLE IN THE LAW. THESE PEOPLE CANNOT USE COMPUTERS IN A NORMAL WAY FOR DECADES. I AM IMPOSING ALL OF THOSE CONSTRAINTS BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND HOW SIGNIFICANT, HOW DAMAGING, HOW HORRIBLE THIS CRIME IS. 