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“CHILD PROTECTION AND SEXUAL PREDATOR PUNISHMENT ACT OF 1998” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Justice was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E1136 on June 16, 1998.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
CHILD PROTECTION AND SEXUAL PREDATOR PUNISHMENT ACT OF 1998
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speech of
HON. RON KLINK
of pennsylvania
in the house of representatives
Wednesday, June 11, 1998
The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 3494) to amend title 18, United States Code, with respect to violent sex crimes against children, and for other purposes:
Mr. KLINK. Mr. Chairman, I think this is good legislation that will protect our children and I urge my colleagues to support it.
I am pleased that the problem of pedophiles using the Internet to prey upon innocent children is finally receiving the attention it deserves.
I first became concerned about this issue when, as a television reporter in Pennsylvania, I discovered that the police were pursuing a well-organized, high-tech ring of computer pedophiles. This pedophile ring had compiled information on techniques and locations for preying on children in cities all across the country.
Since my election to Congress, I have been working to protect children on the Internet. My Pennsylvania colleague, John Murtha and I met with local and State law enforcement officials, the Department of Justice Child Exploitation Division, and representatives of family groups to discuss what to do about this growing problem.
In particular, I remember meeting with Al Olsen, a police chief from Warwick Township, PA, one of the few people in the country working on the problem of Internet pedophiles at that time. He told us about a California man who used computer bulletin boards to lure youthful rape victims to his home. This same man was using the Internet to brag about what he was doing.
It was clear to us that pedophiles had evolved from preying on children at the school yards and playgrounds to preying on them on the Internet and that law enforcement needed new tools to catch up.
Finally, this legislation moves against that threat. It makes it a Federal crime to use the Internet to contact a minor for the purpose of illegal sexual activity. This is stricter than current law, which requires prosecutors to prove that the victim was persuaded.
The bill also makes it a Federal offense to use the Internet to knowingly transport obscene material to a minor, whether within a State or across State lines.
These new provisions will provide law enforcement with much-needed tools to combat the growing problem of pedophiles on the Internet.
I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 3494.
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