Save the Unsmiling Girl
Her photographs started appearing years ago and have become collectors items, even though she's probably no more than 12 years old today. In those first photos you might have seen a smile, but no more.
She is the Unsmiling Girl. Her eyes are distant, sad, unconnected, uncaring.
Or so we're told by Maggie Farley, in her exceptional LATimes story today. I've never seen a photo of the unsmiling girl, because she is a much-photographed victim of child pornography.
Farley, who should have won a Pulitzer for her work bringing the UN-Congo sex scandal story to light, has focused once again on the weak and exploited, telling the story of the frustrating but inventive search for the Unsmiling Girl, so she can be freed and her tormentor arrested.
This bed is the scene of a terrible crime. The fuzzy portion is where Toronto police removed a pornographic image of the Unsmiling Girl and Photoshopped back in the bed spread. This photo and others were circulated and led to leads: The bed is probably at Disney World. But no clues have come in yet that have allowed police to find the girl and her exploiter -- who most probably is her father or stepfather.
It is a sad and fascinating story. Here's the link again. Please click through and read it. And look at the photos. Maybe you can help save her, and bring her smile back.
She is the Unsmiling Girl. Her eyes are distant, sad, unconnected, uncaring.
Or so we're told by Maggie Farley, in her exceptional LATimes story today. I've never seen a photo of the unsmiling girl, because she is a much-photographed victim of child pornography.
Farley, who should have won a Pulitzer for her work bringing the UN-Congo sex scandal story to light, has focused once again on the weak and exploited, telling the story of the frustrating but inventive search for the Unsmiling Girl, so she can be freed and her tormentor arrested.
This bed is the scene of a terrible crime. The fuzzy portion is where Toronto police removed a pornographic image of the Unsmiling Girl and Photoshopped back in the bed spread. This photo and others were circulated and led to leads: The bed is probably at Disney World. But no clues have come in yet that have allowed police to find the girl and her exploiter -- who most probably is her father or stepfather.
It is a sad and fascinating story. Here's the link again. Please click through and read it. And look at the photos. Maybe you can help save her, and bring her smile back.
posted by Laer at 7:41 PM
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