BRIDGEPORT, Conn. — A federal judge Monday ordered a man convicted of possessing and distributing child pornography to pay about $200,000 in restitution to a woman who was photographed being sexually abused when she was a child.
Senior U.S. District Judge Warren W. Eginton said his ruling was the first in a criminal case in which someone convicted of possessing illegal images — but not creating them — was required to pay restitution.
Ernie Allen, president of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, said he hopes the ruling leads to more restitution orders.
“We think this is a terrific precedent,” Allen said. “The photos stay out there forever. Every time they are downloaded, every time they are distributed, the victim in that image is revictimized.”
