Austin News

On July 12, 2024, U.S. Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and Cory Booker (D-NJ) introduced the Strengthening Child Exploitation Enforcement Act. The proposed legislation aims to close loopholes in existing criminal child sexual abuse statutes to aid law enforcement in prosecuting offenders and protecting victims.

“Any person evil enough to abuse a child should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” said Sen. Cornyn. “Our bill ensures existing law is ironclad so that no predator can get away with these heinous crimes based on technicalities.”

Sen. Booker echoed this sentiment, stating, “I am proud to join Senator Cornyn in introducing this critical piece of legislation that will close loopholes in current law to ensure that those who exploit and abuse children are held accountable. This bipartisan effort reflects our shared commitment to protecting our nation’s most vulnerable—our children. By incorporating the Department of Justice’s recommendations, we can better protect children from exploitation and sexual abuse and provide justice for victims.”

Representatives Troy Nehls (TX-22) and Madeleine Dean (PA-04) will introduce companion legislation in the House.

In 2023, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) published the National Strategy for Child Exploitation Prevention and Interdiction, which included recommendations for Congress to strengthen federal enforcement of child exploitation laws. The Strengthening Child Exploitation Enforcement Act aims to incorporate those recommendations by:

- Closing the kidnapping loophole by clarifying that kidnapping of a child can occur by deceiving a third party and defining circumstances where consent can be used as a defense;

- Closing international travel loopholes by clarifying that traveling to sexually abuse a child includes crossing international lines and committing a sexual abuse felony against a child while abroad is a crime;

- Closing the sexual contact loophole by clarifying that causing a child to commit a sexual act themselves is also a crime;

- And closing the attempt loophole by clarifying that attempting to commit sexual contact offenses is also a crime.

The Strengthening Child Exploitation Enforcement Act has received endorsements from several organizations including the Association of State Criminal Investigative Agencies, Major County Sheriffs of America, Rights4Girls, Hope for Justice, Street Grace, 3Strands Global Foundation, Fraternal Order of Police, National Children’s Alliance (NCA), and National District Attorney’s Association (NDAA).