Posted: 5/18/05
Justice Department task force will try to curb porn
By Robert Marus
ABP Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON (ABP)—Attorney General Alberto Gonzales is pleasing conservative Christian leaders by focusing attention on pornography.
Gonzales’ deputy, Christopher Wray, announced May 5 that the Department of Justice is establishing a special task force that will try to curb the distribution of obscene images. The Obscenity Prosecution Task Force will coordinate efforts across different parts of the vast law-enforcement agency, with emphasis on the “special challenges that obscenity cases pose in the computer age,” according to a statement from Wray.
Conservative religious leaders reacted positively to the news. Tony Perkins, president of the Washington-based Family Research Council, lauded the development in a May 6 statement. “We are thrilled to have some backing in our fight to protect our children,” Perkins said.
However, he also sounded a note of caution regarding Gonzales, who prior to his appointment had been viewed with suspicion by some conservatives as someone with moderate tendencies.
“We will watch closely, though with a growing sense of confidence in our new Attorney General, to see who is appointed to direct the effort,” Perkins said.
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