Bill Would Make it a Crime to Look at Porn on Pa. State Computers, Phones

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Last year’s porn scandal helped cost one Pennsylvania Supreme Court justice his job and ended or damaged the careers of many other men inside the state’s top law circles — but the fallout may not be over.

State Rep. John Payne on Friday introduced a bill that would criminalize the use of state-owned computers and cell phones to look at pornography. Violations would constitute a third-degree misdemeanor, punishable by a year in jail and a $2,500 fine.)

There would be exceptions to the law — investigators whose duties required them to view such images, as well as anybody who unknowingly received such images, as long as they they didn’t turn around and pass the prohibited material along to somebody else.

Payne said he was frustrated that the scandal — which helped result in the retirement of Justice Seamus McCaffery — didn’t claim more state jobs, given the evidence.

“Though most state agencies have ‘policies prohibiting such use, there is no state law that bans this blatant misuse of state assets or provides penalties for violations,” Payne said in a memo explaining his sponsorship of the bill. “Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane indicated there were many others who were not dismissed due to contract issues. Press reports indicated possibly hundreds more.”

The bill has 13 cosponsors. It has been referred to the House Committee on State Government for consideration.