Supporting H.R. the Combating Online Predators Act

Floor Speech

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Mrs. McBATH. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 6719, the Combating Online Predators Act.

There are a number of teenagers and pre-teens who have lost their lives to suicide because of sextortion. We are fighting against criminal individuals and groups who seek out our children with no goal other than to cause turmoil. Sextortion is a dangerous and sick activity that has been increasingly used against children--so much so that the FBI has released warnings on the growing risk this poses to our kids, and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) has reported a nearly 200 percent increase in attempts. As our social landscape continues to evolve, placing our most vulnerable population online more often, we must be prepared with the laws to deter and punish bad actors.

These perpetrators have taken Al-generated images of their victims or convinced the teens to send nude images of themselves and used them as leverage for outrageous demands. Some perpetrators will demand thousands of dollars--a request that is near impossible for the vast majority of teens.

Teenagers worry about so many things: what they are going to wear for homecoming, why their acne cannot seem to get under control, whether they should go to college or trade school. They should not be worried about someone catfishing them and using intimate images of them to either coerce money from them or push them to self-harm.

From Michigan, to Kentucky, to Ohio, and Georgia, these schemes range across the country. These sextortion operations are expanding, and we must do what we can to help law enforcement and prosecutors bring these evils to justice.

With this bill, we will provide prosecutors with additional tools to hold perpetrators accountable for schemes in which they seek to obtain explicit photos and videos of minors.

Our teenagers are in need of protection regardless of their independence and maturity. I am proud to support this legislation to ensure our teenagers can spend this pivotal moment in their lives focusing on things that will positively shape them into adulthood. They should have the chance to enjoy their teenage years without threat or malice.

I encourage my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 6719, the Combating Online Predators Act.

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