Potential Child Pornography Charges For Perez Hilton

[White Rain]

Blogger Perez Hilton is facing widespread outrage, and possibly legal trouble, for posting an apparently explicit paparazzi shot of Miley Cyrus taken when the pop star was climbing out of a car.

Hilton, 32, whose real name is Mario Lavandeira Jr., posted the offending photo on Monday. He has since removed it. But since it exposed Cyrus, 17 – a minor – he could potentially face child-pornography charges.

Reaction to his posting of the image – which PEOPLE will not reproduce, even in a censored form – has been swift and damning, with Tuesday's morning talk shows full of anger and recrimination at Hilton. What remains to be seen is whether it was not just a poor decision but a criminal one.

http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20394174,00.html?hpt=C2

 

[Elphaba]

He has put a video rebuttal on his site... I guess he thinks he looks humorous in it, giving the illusion that all he has on is a faux fur coat and nothing else, crossing his legs and uncrossing them as if he is Sharon Stone in that famous naughty bits scene from Basic Instinct. I found it to be rather offensive, not in the light of making like he has no undies on, but in that this is a serious issue and he is playing it off like it's a joke.

 

[Nova]

Okay, "child pornography" criminal prosecutions are officially out of hand.

I find Perez Hilton a witless bore and I'm glad an inappropriate picture of a minor was removed from his website.

But Miley Cyrus is nearly 17, not 7. And she has been allowed to pole dance on national television (which I personally found very inappropriate, but nobody thought to make it a criminal matter).

And small children are allowed to run around with the word "juicy" printed on their backsides.

I'm not sure what the pictures showed, but a criminal prosecution in this instance is a waste of my tax money.

 

[Gypsy Road]

I can't stand the guy. I mean I REALLY can't stand him, but in his defense, didn't Ms. Cyrus pose practically nude in some magazine last year? Wasn't there some huge uproar about that? IIRC she was shirtless with her back showing. Was it Vanity Fair?

 

[Wise Old Owl]

I've seen the censored pic. I think that's all you're gonna get is the censored one since she is only 17. It was actually a "faux paux" on Miley's part and I can bet daddy is most upset.

Miley was in a white mini dress with no undies and she was climbing out of a convertible - kinda like all the other crotch shots of LiLo, Paris and Britany.

Shame on Perez - I personally can't stand the dude!!! But also shame on Miley - seems she needs a class in modesty!!! Or at least how to move around in certain clothes iffen ya gonna wear that TYPE of clothes (or no clothes).

 

[WhyaDuck?]

Slightly O/T: I don't get these Disney-type stars who feel the need to go naughty and ruin their careers while they last. Is it really that hard to play nice until the gravy train dries up?

As to Perez Hilton, he's as useless as his parodied namesake. I would not think this was worth trouble if it was just undies (since she does worse stuff in her public appearances), but posting a crotch shot of a 17yo (if that's what it was) was pretty stupid and coarse of him... Not sure what I think about this, without seeing the photo.

 

[reportertype]

I agree with Nova. I'm also beyond annoyed with pappos who aim their cameras right at crotch level hoping for an undy shot or something worse. If Perez is in trouble for posting it, what about the photog who shot the pic and sold it?

 

[Wise Old Owl]

Funny thing tonight on my Comast homepage there is a big headline "Miley Expalins Racy Behavior" - its NOT about this incident, its about all the fallout over her new videos. I've seen them and, honestly, they aren't THAT bad - BUT I have a qualifier here - I completely understand Mom's with younger girls. My DD is 16 and she actually laughed about this and called her some names I won't repeat. BUT Mom's with young girls who "look up" to Miley will have some 'xplain and quick talking to do.

When I went through those years with my DD it was Brittany - BEFORE all the real mess - when she was No. 1 with a bullet!!!! It was tough but we got through it and by the time she shaved her head DD was not really likin' Brittany that much anymore.

I don't think its so much the "Disney" image as its THEM - trying to "grow up". Kinda like a teenage rebellion celebrity style. If you haven't been out to seen these "new" nightclubs - well, I just can't explain. I've been to South Beach and we now even have a couple here. Dennis Rodman (remember him?) he has a club here in downtown - Rodman's Retreat. If you google it they have a pic album you can browse through.

If you are interested the censored pic is at the h o l l y w o o d
gossip dotcom. I still don't understand what she was thinking - my Lord didn't her mom teach her how to wear a dress, especially when getting in and out of a car?????

 

[jjenny]

I can't stand the guy. I mean I REALLY can't stand him, but in his defense, didn't Ms. Cyrus pose practically nude in some magazine last year? Wasn't there some huge uproar about that? IIRC she was shirtless with her back showing. Was it Vanity Fair?

I don't know what the photo showed, but I am with you. I find the idea of charging Perez Hilton with child porn ludicrous.

 

[jjenny]

I've seen the censored pic. I think that's all you're gonna get is the censored one since she is only 17. It was actually a "faux paux" on Miley's part and I can bet daddy is most upset.

Miley was in a white mini dress with no undies and she was climbing out of a convertible - kinda like all the other crotch shots of LiLo, Paris and Britany.

Shame on Perez - I personally can't stand the dude!!! But also shame on Miley - seems she needs a class in modesty!!! Or at least how to move around in certain clothes iffen ya gonna wear that TYPE of clothes (or no clothes).

Is her daddy going to be upset? Of all the controversial things his baby girl has been caught doing, daddy's explanation usually is that she is young and having fun.
I believe that what daddy's explanation was regarding video of her's giving a lap dance to the man in his forties.

 

[Wise Old Owl]

I was quite surprised when my local news station splashed that censored pic full screen on the 11 o'clock news!!!

Me thinks "somebody" needs to reign in Miss Miley just a tad bit. Or at least teach her some proper etiquette. I get the "sexy" look and all - but putting yourself in a position like that when you know everywhere you're at cameras are a flashin' is just plain "trashy".

If she keeps this up - she'll end up like LiLo (minus the booze and the drugs - maybe).

 

[Kateyes]

Yes, I agree - shame on Miley for going commando - she made herself a sitting duck for people like Perez Hilton. OTOH, for all of the heavy criticisms and judgmental condemnations Perez has handed out over the last several years, it seems Karma has arrived. JMHO

 

[miimaa]

I'm no fan of the Perez Hilton website but he didn't take the picture so to prosecute him, IMO would not be right. He probably should not have posted it -- mainly because who even cares -- but MCyrus has been letting it hang out for a while now. I recall a recent story and video clip of her lap dancing for her manager. Child pornography has a too broad definition -- again IMO -- when it includes something like this. Child pornography should be limited to CHILDREN who are manipulated, tricked, spied on, etc. Not M. Cyrus who is all over the media and doesn't wear panties (too much information anyway).

 

[Nova]

I can't stand the guy. I mean I REALLY can't stand him, but in his defense, didn't Ms. Cyrus pose practically nude in some magazine last year? Wasn't there some huge uproar about that? IIRC she was shirtless with her back showing. Was it Vanity Fair?

Unlike the picture currently in question, the VF shot was just as you describe it: she was shrouded in a sheet with her bare back showing.

Again, not something I want my granddaughter to do at 16, but not something we need to turn into a crime.

 

[21merc7]

Why didn't anyone ever do anything about those old Calvin Klein photos of teens with no tops on or whatever scenario? If the parents are allowing it, or in this case Cyrus who knows where that stands, how can anyone sue?

 

[whiteangora]

Is her daddy going to be upset? Of all the controversial things his baby girl has been caught doing, daddy's explanation usually is that she is young and having fun.
I believe that what daddy's explanation was regarding video of her's giving a lap dance to the man in his forties.

I have little use for Perez but even less for Miley and her fame-crazed father. At least when she was younger she was a "cute" little talentless bopper but now she's just obnoxious and still talentless.
moo

 

[jjenny]

Unlike the picture currently in question, the VF shot was just as you describe it: she was shrouded in a sheet with her bare back showing.

Again, not something I want my granddaughter to do at 16, but not something we need to turn into a crime.

If a minor goes out in public not wearing adequate coverings, and that minor knows she will have to get out of a car at some point, and also knows her photos might be taken, why would we prosecute people for child porn for taking photos of that minor in public?

 

[WhyaDuck?]

I suspect she knew photos would be taken, since she is trying to be all edgy and "grownup" now. So, I'm not sure it's anyone's fault if this is what she was aiming for. (Again, MC, why not wait until your 15 minutes are up before you start shredding your public image?)

It was kind of dumb of Hilton for posting them, but if dumb was a crime, the trains would be a lot less crowded.