Mistaking bathtime photos for child pornography
Why Arizona parents Lisa and A.J. Demaree are suing the state and Wal-Mart
It's easy to distinguish a Kodak moment from kiddie porn, said Lenore Skenazy in Free Range Kids. But that didn't help an Arizona couple who asked Wal-Mart to develop a batch of photos that included some bathtime snapshots of their girls, who were then ages 5, 4, and 1. A Wal-Mart employee called police, the state took custody of the kids until the child pornography investigation was completed, and now, with good reason, the parents are suing.
There's another side to the story, said Dustin Gardiner in The Arizona Republic. The parents—Lisa and Anthony "A.J." Demaree—are also suing the town of Peoria, Ariz., but local officials say the police were just doing their job. Peoria says police had to investigate after the officer who filed the first report said "several of the pictures depicted close-up views of the girls' genitalia."
That's no excuse—the investigation should have stopped the second police saw the photos, said Dr. Logan Levkoff in The Huffington Post. And there's certainly no excuse for taking three little girls away from their parents—for more than a month!—and suggesting to Lisa and A.J. Demaree's friends and family that they're sex offenders. This horror story is chilling for parents—meanwhile, there are real child pornographers out there, but they "aren't getting their pictures developed at Wal-Mart."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
5 ways to help the environment while on vacation
The Week Recommends An afternoon of planting trees could be the best part of your trip
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US Published
-
Doctors are taking on dental duties in low-income areas
Under the radar Physicians are biting into the dentistry industry
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Instagram hopes that blurring nudity in messages will make teens safer
The Explainer The option will be turned on by default for users under 18
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published