Nevada judge comments on porn in sentencing man

A local judge, in sentencing a man to up to 18 years in prison for possessing more than 800 images of child pornography, said such offenses reflect "problems with impulse control" and could be seen as not inherently immoral in some cultures. Carson City District Judge Bill Maddox made the comment Tuesday in sentencing Jason Excell, 36, on 10 counts of possessing child pornography. "These kinds of offenses are problems with impulse control," Maddox said. "When I say that, it's my understanding that most men are sexually attracted to young women." Maddox referred to the legal terms "malum in se," a Latin phrase meaning an act that is inherently evil, and "malum prohibitum," which means acts that aren't necessarily inherently immoral or hurtful but are prohibited by law. He said child pornography could be considered "malum prohibitum" because in some countries and cultures, it is acceptable to engage in sexual conduct with young girls.

source: 'Nevada judge comments on porn in sentencing man'; news.rgj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070329/NEWS15/703290331/1004/NEWS01; RGJ.com; 29 March 2007