In a bipartisan effort to strengthen the fight against online child sexual exploitation, Congresswoman Laurel Lee (R-FL), U.S. Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25) have introduced the Renewed Hope Act.
This legislation aims to enhance the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) ability to identify, rescue, and protect victims of online child sexual abuse while prosecuting offenders.
The Renewed Hope Act seeks to provide additional resources to the DHS’s Cyber Crimes Center (C3) and its Child Exploitation Investigations Unit, improving their capacity to investigate child exploitation, child pornography, and child victim identification.
“The internet platforms we use every day are being used to disseminate and collect child sex abuse material (CSAM),” said Rep. Lee. “CSAM and the exploitation of children are increasing at alarming rates, and Congress must ensure the men and women fighting back against these crimes have the tools and resources they need. The Renewed Hope Act will provide much-needed resources in the fight against online child exploitation and help protect our nation’s children.”
The legislation has garnered widespread support, with notable backing from Tim Tebow, founder of the Tim Tebow Foundation. Tebow, a vocal advocate for rescuing children from abuse, stated, “Hundreds of thousands of children are living in unimaginable darkness, enduring horrific abuse. This bill is crucial to building a stronger rescue network to safeguard these innocent lives.”
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“For too long, hundreds of thousands of girls and boys have endured horrific abuse — often at the hands of adults who are supposed to protect them,” said Tim Tebow. “Children in our nation are right now living in the darkest of evils, crying out for help. Their pain must stir us to act. This is why we’re calling on Congress to pass legislation to strengthen our nation’s response to identifying and rescuing these boys and girls. Because even with law enforcement and organizations working around the clock to rescue these children, it’s just not enough. I’m deeply grateful to our leaders for shining a light on this bipartisan issue so that we can build a stronger rescue team of analysts, investigators, and law enforcement as we unite to find and safeguard every child in our nation suffering this great evil.”
“Our children deserve to be protected from the ever-increasing number of digital predators who seek to harm them, which means we must expand our efforts to identify and support children who are victims of this online abuse and exploitation,” said Rep. Wasserman Schultz. “As reports of predatory behavior against children continue to rise, I am proud to join my colleagues to introduce this bipartisan and bicameral legislation that will increase our capacity to identify children who are victims of child sexual exploitation by investing in the people on the front lines dedicated to finding and saving these innocent lives.”
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The Renewed Hope Act builds on the 2015 Human Exploitation Rescue Operations (HERO) Act, which established the Child Exploitation Investigations Unit within U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The new bill seeks to:
- Increase resources for hiring and training computer forensics and criminal analysts.
- Clarify the Child Exploitation Investigations Unit’s role within DHS.
- Enhance training in advanced victim identification technology for HSI personnel and other law enforcement agencies.
The legislation is endorsed by various organizations, including the Tim Tebow Foundation, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), and the International Justice Mission.
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As child exploitation continues to rise, lawmakers across party lines are calling for swift action to ensure that law enforcement has the tools they need to protect the nation’s most vulnerable population—its children.
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