> Our society is pretty aligned that distribution is another kind of harm.
replyAs well as possession. I don't actually know if those are different for CSAM, but I would assume so because they are for drugs.
Meh, I assume "possession" (of drugs) is how the law is worded because otherwise law enforcement would have to catch someone in the act of using or distributing, which must be much harder to do.
replyMere possession of a substance is surely not what society cares about.
It surely is, but that doesn't change the fact that many cases are not about distribution and the harm is frequently more of a legal fiction, unless by harm you mean something other than suffering inflicted on the victims. I don't necessarily think it's wrong for society to ban certain acts on purely moral grounds (another example: incest between siblings), but let's not pretend it's something else going on.
reply> Non-consented distribution of sexual images (eg: revenge porn) is also a crime.
There is very compelling empirical evidence that this causes actual harm (suicide ideation in a very big fraction of the victims), even if it is fictional, so here there is no question about the harm.