The Senate Judiciary Committee has approved a bipartisan legislative package aimed at addressing online child exploitation. The package, led by Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Ranking Member Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), includes three bills: the Sentencing Accountability for Exploitation (SAFE) Act, the Ending Coercion of Children and Harm Online (ECCHO) Act, and the Stop Sextortion Act. Together, these measures form the James T. Woods Act, named after a high school student who died following sextortion.
The legislation seeks to update federal sentencing laws related to child sex abuse material and introduces two new crimes focused on sextortion and violent online criminal networks that coerce children into self-harm or harming others. Currently, the Sentencing Commission cannot revise sentencing guidelines without congressional approval, and there is no specific law against sextortion or coercing minors into harmful acts.
Chairman Grassley stated, “Iowans at my county meetings often ask me, ‘Why can’t Republicans and Democrats get along?’ The news media only likes to report on partisan conflicts, but I remind Iowans real bipartisanship happens, and that’s how things get done in the United States Senate. Today is a great example of that bipartisan work in action. The James T. Woods Act, named in honor of a young man who tragically lost his life as a result of online harassment, would protect American children from the darkest corners of the internet,” Grassley said. “American families have suffered unthinkable pain at the hands of evil online criminals. I’m proud to work alongside Senator Durbin to bring these individuals to justice.”
Senator Durbin added, “In the digital age, predators can target our kids from anywhere. As online predators’ tactics evolve, so must our tools to combat their depravity. This package of bills revamps key sentencing laws, targets online criminal networks, and cracks down on offenders using sexual abuse material to take advantage of children. I’m proud to partner with Senator Grassley on this bipartisan issue, and I won’t stop until these bills—and other key measures to protect children online—are signed into law.”
In addition to advancing this legislative package by voice vote, the committee also approved Gregory Gilmore’s nomination as United States Attorney for the Central District of Illinois by a 20-2 vote.
The Senate Judiciary Committee plays an important role in shaping national policy related to constitutional protections and public safety through its legislative work and oversight responsibilities (official website). It reviews legislation affecting civil rights and public safety (official website), oversees federal law enforcement agencies (official website), evaluates judicial nominations (official website), and influences legal matters across the country from its base in Washington D.C. (official website). The committee is chaired by a senator who leads meetings attended by members from both major parties (official website). As a standing committee of the U.S. Senate with authority over judicial issues (official website), it continues its oversight on matters such as those addressed in this latest legislative effort.
