Combating Online Predators Act
Floor Speech
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Ms. LEE of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6719) to prohibit threats to a minor, and for other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 6719
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Combating Online Predators Act'' or the ``COP Act''. SEC. 2. PROHIBITING THREATS TO A MINOR.
(a) Material Involving the Sexual Exploitation of Minors.-- Section 2252A of title 18, United States Code, is amended--
(1) in subsection (a)--
(A) in paragraph (6), by striking ``illegal; or'' and inserting ``illegal;'';
(B) in paragraph (7), by striking the period at the end and inserting ``; or''; and
(C) by inserting after paragraph (7) the following:
``(8) knowingly distributes, offers, sends, or provides, in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce, a threat to distribute--
``(A) a visual depiction of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct, or
``(B) a visual depiction of a person the defendant believes is a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct, with the intent that the minor, or the person the defendant believes is a minor, create or transmit a visual depiction of any minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct,''; and
(2) in subsection (b), by striking ``or (6)'' and inserting ``(6), or (8)''.
(b) Material Constituting or Containing Child Pornography.--Section 2252 of title 18, United States Code, is amended--
(1) in subsection (a)--
(A) in paragraph (3)(B)(ii), by striking ``or'' at the end;
(B) in paragraph (4)(B)(ii), by inserting ``or'' after the semicolon; and
(C) by inserting after paragraph (4) the following:
``(5) knowingly distributes, offers, sends, or provides, in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce, a threat to distribute--
``(A) a visual depiction of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct, or
``(B) a visual depiction of a person the defendant believes is a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct, with the intent that the minor, or the person the defendant believes is a minor, create or transmit a visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct,'';
(2) in subsection (b)(2), by inserting ``or (5)'' after ``paragraph (4)''; and
(3) in subsection (c), in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by inserting ``or (5)'' after ``paragraph (4)''.
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Ms. LEE of Florida. 6719.
Mr. Speaker, as we recognize January as National Human Trafficking Prevention Month, I am proud of all the work the House Judiciary Committee has done and continues to do to protect children and our most vulnerable populations.
In the 118th Congress, the Subcommittee on Crime and Federal Government Surveillance held two hearings focused on human trafficking, child protection, and the identification of victims. Through those important hearings, my legislation, the REPORT Act, which strengthened requirements for online service providers to report crimes involving child sex abuse material to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, was signed into law. I applaud Chairman Biggs for beginning the 119th Congress with our first subcommittee hearing once again focused on protecting victims of online exploitation.
Our work is far from over, which is why I look forward to passing the Combating Online Predators Act today.
Mr. Speaker, the rise of sextortion against our Nation's children is troubling. Sextortion is a form of exploitation that occurs when someone threatens to distribute another person's private, sensitive material unless that person complies with a demand for additional sexual content, sexual favors, or money.
Incidents of sextortion have increased dramatically in recent years. Cases reported in the United States increased from 13,842 in the first half of 2024 to 23,593 in the same period in 2025. This rapid growth is disturbing, and it is unacceptable.
Children are especially vulnerable to falling victim to sextortion, with boys aged 14 to 17 most often being targeted. Tragically, this exploitation has led some young people to take their own lives in an attempt to prevent their images from being shared with friends or family.
Through this horrendous conduct, we have lost beautiful young lives, including Gavin Guffey from South Carolina, Bryce Tate from West Virginia, and many other children. I have also met with parents, including a mother from my home State of Florida, who shared the heartbreaking story of her son who fell victim to sextortion and later took his life.
Each of these precious lives was taken too soon, and today, we honor and remember them. Yet, under current law, law enforcement is not fully equipped with the tools necessary to prosecute those who push children into these acts. Sextortion falls outside of the CSAM statute, forcing Federal prosecutors to rely on a patchwork of charging theories that do not fully reflect the gravity of these crimes. The absence of a specific Federal statute prohibiting sextortion leads to inconsistent and inadequate sentencing that can fail to capture the seriousness of this offense.
A legislative fix is, therefore, necessary to ensure Federal prosecutors can charge this conduct directly and fight sextortion effectively.
Congress has a duty to protect children from online exploitation and ensure predators are held fully accountable. The Combating Online Predators Act does exactly that by amending the United States Criminal Code to criminalize intentional threats to distribute child sex abuse material.
No child should ever encounter these threats online, and no child should ever feel that the only way out is to end their own life. Predators must be stopped, and today, Congress continues its work. By passing the Combating Online Predators Act, we strengthen our laws, close a dangerous gap, and send a clear message to predators everywhere that this conduct will not be tolerated.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. HARRIS of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, the internet is increasingly becoming a hostile place for children. The practice of sextortion is becoming far too common. As many as one in five teenagers report experiencing sextortion.
That is why I rise in support of the Combating Online Predators Act, which takes decisive action against the practice of sextortion.
This bill updates current child sexual abuse material laws to ensure that sextortion is included so that no minor can be threatened with the release of explicit content that depicts them.
As bad actors use the internet to harm kids, Congress must ensure our laws are updated to protect them. Those who seek to threaten our youth through sextortion must be held accountable, and this bill ensures they will.
Mr. Speaker, I am so grateful to my colleague, Representative Lee, for leading this effort to protect children from this harmful practice. I am pleased with the widespread and bipartisan support for it, and I urge my colleagues to support the Combating Online Predators Act.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues for their thoughtful debate and for their support on this important issue. This legislation addresses a clear and dangerous gap in Federal law that predators have exploited to harm children online.
By explicitly criminalizing threats to distribute child sex abuse material, Congress ensures these heinous acts are prosecuted with the seriousness that they deserve. This legislation reflects the bipartisan recognition that protecting children from exploitation is a shared responsibility.
Mr. Speaker, it provides law enforcement with the clarity, consistency, and tools necessary to hold offenders accountable and prevent future harm.
In closing, Mr. Speaker, I encourage all of my colleagues to pass H.R. 6719, the Combating Online Predators Act, and I yield back the balance of my time.
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