The "Strengthening Child Exploitation Enforcement Act" broadens the definition of abduction, criminalizes certain forms of child sexual abuse, and updates language for clarity and consistency in existing laws.
Troy Nehls
Representative
TX-22
The "Strengthening Child Exploitation Enforcement Act" amends Title 18 of the U.S. Code to broaden the definitions and penalties for kidnapping and sexual offenses involving minors, including redefining abduction, clarifying the circumstances under which consent is not a valid defense, and creating a new offense for the intentional touching of a minor's genitalia with intent to abuse. The Act also updates language and penalties related to abusive sexual contact, ensuring that attempts to commit such offenses are penalized equally with completed acts. Additionally, it modifies language regarding sexual exploitation of children, broadening the scope of the law. Finally, the Act makes conforming amendments to civil rights offense penalties and sentencing classifications to reflect the changes made to the definitions of the underlying offenses.
Feds Aim to Tighten Child Exploitation Laws: Bill Expands Definitions, Adds New Offenses
Congress is looking at updating federal laws concerning crimes against children with the 'Strengthening Child Exploitation Enforcement Act.' This bill aims to amend Title 18 of the U.S. Code, essentially rewriting parts of the rulebook for kidnapping, sexual abuse, and illicit sexual conduct involving minors to close loopholes and broaden protections.
Expanding the Net: What Changes?
First up, the definition of kidnapping under section 1201 gets an update. It would now include situations where someone obtains a minor 'by defrauding or deceiving any person.' Think online grooming or tricking a guardian. Crucially, if the victim is under 16, their consent isn't a valid defense unless the accused genuinely and reasonably believed they were 16 or older. The bill also tweaks the language for sexual abuse (section 2241(c)), changing 'crosses a State line' to 'travels in interstate or foreign commerce.' This might seem small, but it potentially expands federal jurisdiction to cover more cases, and it applies retroactively.
New Offenses and Stronger Penalties
A significant addition is a new offense under section 2243(f). This targets intentional, non-consensual touching of the genitalia of someone under 16, without clothing, if done with abusive intent (like humiliating, harassing, or for sexual gratification). This applies within federal jurisdiction, like federal lands or prisons. The bill also clarifies language around abusive sexual contact (section 2244), making it explicit that attempting these offenses carries the same weight and penalties as actually completing them. It also broadens definitions slightly, replacing specific phrasing to potentially cover more types of unwanted contact.
Cleaning Up the Code
Finally, the bill includes 'conforming amendments' (Sec. 3). This is mostly legal housekeeping, updating cross-references in other parts of the law (like sections 250(b) and 3559) to ensure penalties and sentencing guidelines align correctly with the changes made to the abusive sexual contact definitions. Essentially, it makes sure the rest of the legal code reflects these updated rules consistently.