By Mike Cason
Three Alabama lawmakers who sponsored a bill to require pornographic websites to use age verification received letters today containing pornographic images.
Rep. Ben Robbins, R-Sylacauga, said the images came in a manila envelope found on their desks this morning.
Robbins said Reps. Susan DuBose of Hoover and David Faulkner of Mountain Brook, who co-sponsored the bill last year, also received the envelopes.
Robbins said the sender was apparently trying to show that such images can still be found on social media despite their bill, which passed and became law.
Robbins said the sender’s attempt at harassment will not work.
“I am always going to do what’s right to protect Alabama’s children,” Robbins said. “Nothing can intimidate me or make me back down. I will continue to fight for our children.”
The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency is investigating the letters, which included a name and return address of a P.O. Box in Dothan.
ALEA said in a press release that each letter included a number of pornographic images.
Special agents with the State Bureau of Investigation responded to the Alabama State House about 9:14 a.m. Wednesday. They have identified a person of interest in the investigation.
The bill, HB164, signed into law by Gov. Kay Ivey a year ago, says: “Any commercial entity that knowingly and intentionally publishes or distributes sexual material harmful to minors through an adult website shall use a reasonable age-verification method to provide reasonable assurance that individuals under 18 years of age cannot access the material harmful to minors.”