Tough sentences for downloading the wrong porn

This morning, the Louisville Courier-Journal has this interesting article, “Cracking down on child porn,” which details the lengthy sentences defendants are now to receive under the federal guidelines for downloading illegal pornography.  The story focuses on a young, married, college graduate facing over 17 years imprisonment because of his huge collection of child pornography on his home computer.  The article also includes this interesting discussion of federal sentencing in these cases:

Under 2003 legislation known as the PROTECT Act, Congress increased federal penalties for child-pornography offenders, including a mandatory five-year sentence for receiving or distributing it through the Internet.  The U.S. Sentencing Commission, which advises federal courts, has increased advisory prison terms twice since the legislation passed.  Sentences increase dramatically based on the number and types of images involved, and if children younger than 12 are depicted.

Judges almost always follow the guidelines, according to a commission report requested by Chief U.S. District Judge John G. Heyburn….  Of 25 federal child-pornography offenders affected by the 2004 guidelines and sentenced this year through September, judges deviated from prosecutors’ recommendations and imposed sentences shorter than the guideline in only three cases.