Behind the Lens: Child Pornography

Every day, innocent children are being preyed upon and exploited by adults. Dr. Phil examines the shocking but growing world of child pornography. Unthinkable to most people, sexually-explicit images of children are being created and distributed by thousands of criminals across the country, causing long-lasting trauma and damage to innocent victims. Richelle and Travis say they know firsthand what happens when a child suffers from such horrific abuse. They adopted 5-year-old Michael, who was a victim of a child pornographer, and although they felt prepared to help him recover, they had no idea what to expect once he hit puberty. Now 13, are there signs Michael may be continuing the cycle of abuse? And, Alicia says she was a typical 13-year-old honor roll student when she befriended an older man online who made her feel special and important. Now 24, she shares how their encounter turned her world turned upside down when he abducted, raped and tortured her, as well as filmed and distributed her abuse. Hear about her work as a victim’s advocate and what she’s doing to stop Internet predators. Plus, Justin, 25, says when he was 13, he was coerced by online predators into producing his own sexually-explicit images and videos. Learn how he says he was lured into the seedy underbelly of the Web and how he got out. Plus, don’t miss the alarming statistics about child predators and what you can do to protect your children. Parents, this is a show you can’t afford to miss! Warning: This episode contains strong sexual content. Viewer discretion is advised.