Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, November 16, 1995 TAG: 9511160065
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A-10 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: WASHINGTON LENGTH: Medium
The department's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section ``independently verified that minors were not used as models in the particular photographs that raised questions,'' Deputy Assistant Attorney General Kevin V. Di Gregory wrote Klein's lawyer Wednesday.
Some of the photographs were deemed offensive by a broad spectrum of observers, including conservative media critic Donald Wildmon and President Clinton and his wife, Hillary.
But because minors weren't used in those photos deemed questionable, they do not violate federal child pornography statutes, Di Gregory wrote.
Justice Department spokesman Carl Stern said several minors were used in the ad campaign, but the photographs of them did not display the ``genital and pubic areas'' as federal law requires in order to prove the exploitation of children for sexual purposes.
``The law is designed to protect minors from sexual exploitation, but we have to work with the way it's written,'' Stern said. ``It covers photographs of the genital and pubic areas of minors but not pictures of breasts or other body parts.''
Stern said the ages of models in the ads were checked by federal agents using birth records, passports, schools records and other official documents.
Di Gregory's four-sentence letter was sent to Klein's lawyer, Arthur Liman of New York. Calvin Klein Inc. issued a statement noting the decision and pointing out the company's ``full cooperation'' with the investigation.
The ads ran - on television, in print and on the sides of city buses - for less than two months before Klein agreed Aug. 28 to drop them under pressure from the public and retailers.
by CNB