Child Predators Accountability Act

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Ms. LEE of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 6715, the Child Predators Accountability Act, and I thank my colleague from North Carolina for his leadership in advancing this important legislation.

Protecting our Nation's children is among the most solemn responsibilities entrusted to Congress.

Our criminal statutes must be clear and effective so that individuals who exploit children are held fully accountable under the law. When ambiguity exists, it can undermine enforcement and allow dangerous conduct to fall outside the reach of existing statutes.

Recently, a court decision in United States v. Howard highlighted a technical gap in Federal child exploitation law, one that exposed the need for greater clarity in how certain conduct is defined and prosecuted.

In that case, the Court interpreted existing statutory language in a way that limited accountability, even though a child's image was used in sexually exploitative conduct.

Mr. Speaker, that outcome underscores an important reality. A child is harmed whenever their image is intentionally placed into a sexualized setting. The absence of physical contact or active participation does not eliminate the harm or the violation.

This is an issue that I have personally heard about from law enforcement officers who work on these cases every day. I commend Mr. Harris, Chairman Biggs, and Chairman Jordan for ensuring that we address it through the Child Predators Accountability Act, and I thank my colleagues for joining with us in this important work.

H.R. 6715 closes a dangerous loophole. It restores clarity, strengthens enforcement, and reaffirms our commitment to protecting children and upholding justice.

Mr. Speaker, there should be no ambiguity when it comes to the criminal nature of the sexual exploitation of children. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 6715.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source