United States v. Santacruz, 563 F.3d 894 (9th Cir. Apr. 20, 2009) (per curiam) (federal conviction of possession of child pornography, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 2252A(a)(5)(B) ("knowingly possesses, or knowingly accesses with intent to view, any book, magazine, periodical, film, videotape, computer disk, or any other material that contains an image of child pornography"), constituted a conviction of a crime involving moral turpitude, and supported district court's order granting partial summary judgment in favor of the United States in an action to revoke naturalized citizenship: "The Supreme Court has characterized sexual abuse of a minor as "an act repugnant to the moral instincts of a decent people." Ashcroft v. Free Speech Coalition, 535 U.S. 234, 244, 122 S.Ct. 1389, 152 L.Ed.2d 403 (2002). Moreover, child pornography, as "permanent record of a child's abuse," causes continuing "injury to the child's reputation and well-being." Id. at 249. Because possession of child pornography offends conventional morality and visits continuing injury on children, it is "vile, base or depraved and ... violates societal moral standards." Navarro-Lopez, 503 F.3d at 1074. Therefore, possession of child pornography under 18 U.S.C. 2252A(a)(5)(B) is a crime involving moral turpitude."); accord In re Olquin-Rufino, 23 I. & N. Dec. 896, 896 (BIA 2006) (Florida conviction of possession of child pornography, under Florida Statute 827.071(5) ("unlawful for any person to knowingly possess a photograph, motion picture, exhibition, show, representation, or other presentation which ... he or she knows to include any sexual conduct by a child"), constituted conviction of crime involving moral turpitude); See Iowa Supreme Court Attorney Disciplinary Bd. v. Blazek, 739 N.W.2d 67, 69 (Iowa 2007) (possession of child pornography is morally turpitudinous); Chapman v. Gooden, 974 So.2d 972, 977 (Ala.2007) (same); cf. In re Wolff, 490 A.2d 1118, 1120 (D.C.Ct.App.1985), vacated, 494 A.2d 932, aff'd, 511 A.2d 1047 (1986) (en banc) (same) (possession of child pornography is a crime involving moral turpitude).



This decision is incorrect. Museums, law enforcement agencies, court clerks, and academic researchers may possess these items without moral culpability of any kind. The issue of criminality of their possession hinges on whether the possession is unauthorized under law. This offense is therefore malum prohibitum, and should be considered a regulatory offense, rather than a crime of moral turpitude. It is, after all, mere private possession, rather than production or distribution.