U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin, the Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, delivered opening remarks at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing titled “Protecting Our Children Online Against the Evolving Offender.” In his statement, Durbin focused on bipartisan legislative efforts to address online child sexual abuse material (CSAM), highlighting the STOP CSAM Act, which allows victims to sue companies that host such material. The committee had previously advanced this legislation unanimously.
Durbin cited data from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), noting significant increases in both financially-motivated sextortion and what NCMEC calls “sadistic online exploitation.” In 2021, there were 139 CyberTips involving financially-motivated sextortion. In contrast, during just the first six months of 2025, NCMEC received 23,593 such reports. Reports of sadistic exploitation also doubled compared to the same period in 2024.
“Let’s have a sense of urgency about what we are setting out to do. I have worked with Senator Hawley and many others—survivors, law enforcement, [and] advocates—to put together the STOP CSAM Act. The bill takes a comprehensive approach to stemming the tide of online child exploitation,” Durbin said.
He added: “I have repeatedly said that we must bring the same urgency to protecting kids in the virtual world that we do in the real world. But the landscape of online child exploitation has changed dramatically by the day. Two trends in particular demand our immediate attention: financially-motivated sextortion and sadistic online exploitation. What was once rare is now an epidemic.”
Durbin acknowledged families affected by these crimes: “NCMEC has identified more than 36 young men in the United States who have died by suicide after being sextorted. We are joined today by one of those families. Mrs. [Tamia] Woods, thank you for being here. She lost her son James at 17-years-old after he was targeted. She is here in a courageous capacity—transforming unbearable loss into a call for action.”
He called for further legislative action: “This is an unsuitable systemic failure, and what are we going to do about it? We are going to have a hearing, we are going to call witnesses, we are going to lament the situation. What are we going to do about it? Is there going to be a bill in the new session? To say that we are so overwhelmed with legislation on the floor [and] we don't have time [to address CSAM] is a joke… We have more than enough time to do it right. This Committee has a history of tackling tough issues. Mr. Chairman, it is up to you and me and Senators on both sides of the aisle to make it happen.”
Durbin has made child safety online a priority through hearings and legislative efforts as part of his work with the Senate Judiciary Committee. On January 31, 2024, when Durbin was Chair, he led a hearing with testimony from CEOs of major social media companies including Discord, Meta, Snap, TikTok, and X (formerly Twitter), emphasizing ongoing risks facing children online.
In July 2024, another bipartisan measure championed by Durbin—the Disrupt Explicit Forged Images and Non-Consensual Edits Act (DEFIANCE Act)—passed in the Senate. This legislation targets those responsible for creating or distributing nonconsensual sexually explicit deepfake images or videos amid rising use of accessible technology enabling such content.
Video footage and audio recordings of Durbin’s full opening statement at today’s hearing were made available for public viewing.
