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WASHINGTON-The Supreme Court has upheld criminal penalties for promoting child pornography.The court, in a 7-2 decision,brushed aside concerns that the law could apply to mainstream movies that depict adolescent sex, classic literature or innocent e-mails that describe pictures of grandchildren.The ruling upholds part of a 2003 law that also prohibits possession of child porn. It replaced an earlier law against child pornography that the court struck down as unconstitutional.Justice Antonin Scalia, writing for the majority, said the law does not cover movie sex.There is no "possibility that virtual child pornography or sex between youthful-looking adult actors might be covered by the term 'simulated sexual intercourse."' Scalia said.Likewise, Scalia said, First Amendment protections do not apply to "offers to provide or requests to obtain child pornography."In another decision Monday, the justices ruled against an Algerian convicted of conspiring to detonate explosives at Los Angeles International Airport during the millennium holiday travel rush.In its 8-1 decision, the court upheld Ahmed Ressam's conviction on an explosives charge, one of nine convictions that resulted in a 22-year prison sentence.At issue was whether Ressam should be convicted of carrying explosives during the commission of another serious crime. In Ressam's case, that conviction was for lying on a U.S. Customs form when he crossed the border in December 1999.As in the days of Noah....
