PROTECT's bill to speed up the time it takes law enforcement to identify child pornography traffickers passed the Tennessee legislature last night.
PROTECT's David Keith was there at the Tennessee Senate
in Nashville to shepherd the bill through its final passage. Senator Tim Burchett (R-Knoxville), who coined the name, The "Minutes
Count" bill, sponsored the Senate bill. Rep. Harry Tindell
(D-Knoxville) sponsored the legislation in the House.
The legislation creates an administrative subpoena for use in child
exploitation investigations. It allows prosecutors to quickly issue a
subpoena request to Internet service providers, speeding up the time it
takes to identify an account holder who is suspected of trafficking in
child pornography or is attempting to entice a child. Without the
expedited subpoena, law enforcement can wait weeks for a response from
ISPs, potentially leaving children in danger.
Once a suspect is identified, law enforcement must still go through all
normal procedures to secure a court-ordered search warrant.
