Congresswoman Laurel Lee Introduces Legislation to Combat Sextortion and Close Gaps in Federal Law

Washington, D.C. - Congresswoman Laurel Lee recently introduced the Combating Online Predators Act, legislation to strengthen federal law by explicitly criminalizing threats to chidistribute child sexual abuse material (CSAM)- also known as sextortion- a tactic commonly used by online predators to exploit children.

Sextortion is a form of sexual exploitation in which perpetrators threaten to distribute private or sensitive images unless victims comply with demands for additional sexual content, sexual favors, or money. Children and teens are particularly vulnerable to these crimes, which have increased dramatically in recent years and, in some tragic cases, have led to suicide.

Despite the growing prevalence of sextortion, current federal law does not adequately address this conduct. The primary criminal statute governing the distribution of CSAM-18 U.S.C. §§ 2252 and 2252A-does not explicitly cover threats to distribute such material, allowing predators to evade accountability even when clear harm has occurred.

The Combating Online Predators Act, referred to the House Judiciary Committee, closes this loophole by amending federal law to criminalize intentional threats to distribute CSAM, ensuring law enforcement has the tools necessary to hold offenders accountable and protect victims.

"Sextortion is a devastating crime that preys on fear, shame, and vulnerability-especially among children,"said Congresswoman Laurel Lee. "When predators threaten to distribute explicit images of minors, the harm is real and often irreversible. Congress has a duty to ensure our laws keep pace with the tactics used by online predators, and this legislation closes a critical gap to protect children and deliver justice for victims."

According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), reports of financial sextortion surged in 2023, with 26,718 reports, up from 10,731 in 2022. The FBI has also warned of a sharp rise in sextortion schemes targeting minors, particularly teenage boys. Just last month, a 15-year-old boy in West Virginia died by suicide after being targeted in a sextortion scam, underscoring the urgent need for congressional action.

The Combating Online Predators Actreflects Congress's responsibility to confront online child exploitation, modernize federal criminal law, and ensure predators who use threats to exploit children are held fully accountable.