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Because of a 1970s-era Texas law that allows parents to show "harmful material" to their children, the Randall County district attorney says he cannot prosecute an Amarillo man accused of forcing his 8- and 9-year-old daughters to watch pornography.
District Attorney James Farren has asked the Texas attorney general’s office to review his decision not to pursue charges in the case, which has led at least one lawmaker to vow to change the law."Our hands are tied. It’s not our fault. I have to follow the law," Farren said Thursday. "The mother of the victims in this case was less than happy with this decision, which I understand. We were less than happy with the statute."The law was apparently meant to protect the privacy of parents who wanted to teach sex education to children, but it states clearly that parents can’t be prosecuted for showing "harmful material" to their children.Farren said police reported the incident to his office after one of the girls told a counselor in June that her father made them watch online material of adults having group sex and various other acts. The parents of the girls, and their 7-year-old sister, are divorced and share custody.The girls’ mother, Crystal Buckner, wants her ex-husband jailed. She said she was stunned to hear from prosecutors and police that nothing can be done."I said, 'Are you kidding me?’ There’s no way. This can’t be right," said Buckner, a 30-year-old stay-at-home mother.The Associated Press typically does not publish the names of parents if doing so would identify children who might have been sexually abused, but Buckner is seeking publicity about the case. She has printed out copies of the penal code, which she hands out to everyone she meets."I want people to know about this. I want parents to be mad and say 'No!’ " she said. "I understand in the ’70s everybody wanted the government to stay out of their homes. I don’t want to stop parents from having that right to teach sex education, but there’s a big difference and there’s a line you should not cross when teaching." State Sen. Bob Deuell, R-Greenville, said he plans to try to change the law in the next legislative session.
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