WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and Cory Booker (D-NJ) introduced their Strengthening Child Exploitation Enforcement Act, which would close loopholes in existing criminal child sexual abuse statues to help law enforcement better prosecute offenders and protect 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.”

“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,” said Sen. Booker. “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.

Background:

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

• Closing the kidnapping loophole by clarifying that kidnapping of a child can occur by deceiving a third party and the circumstances where consent can be used as a defense;
• Closing the international travel loopholes by clarifying that traveling to sexually abuse a child includes crossing international lines and that 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 the sexual contact offenses is also a crime.

The Strengthening Child Exploitation Enforcement Act is endorsed by the Association of State Criminal Investigative Agencies, Major County Sherriff’s of America, Rights4Girls, Hope for Justice, Street Grace, 3Strands Global Foundation, Fraternal Order of Police, the National Children’s Alliance (NCA), and the National District Attorney’s Association (NDAA).