WASHINGTON (KAMR/KCIT) — A group of bipartisan lawmakers introduced the “Protect Our Children Act,” which would reauthorize and modernize the Internet Crimes Against Children Force Program.
U.S Senators John Cornyn (R-TX), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Josh Hawley (R-MO), Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Representatives Nathaniel Moran (TX-01) and Debbie Wasserman Shultz (FL-25) introduced the bill last week according to officials.
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“For decades, the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Program has played an invaluable role in helping federal, state, and local law enforcement work together to fight child exploitation and put vicious predators behind bars,” said Sen. Cornyn. “By extending and modernizing this program, our legislation would ensure these Task Forces can continue to protect our next generation in an increasingly digital world.”
The “Protect Our Children Act” would:
Update and modernize the requirements for the National Strategy for Child Exploitation Prevention and Interdiction, including requiring the U.S. Department of Justice to provide useful information on efforts to protect children worldwide.
Provide liability protection for the ICAC Task Force in the course of conducting criminal investigations of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and child abuse material.
Make improvements and clarifications to the statutory text of the programs to match it to current technology and needs.
Focus on both proactive and reactive investigations for the ICAC program.
Reauthorize the ICAC program through 2027.
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Officials note that since 1998, ICAC has helped state and local law enforcement agencies develop responses to technology-facilitated child sexual exploitation and internet crimes against children. The ICAC Task Forces have trained more than 826,700 law enforcement officers and has a national network of 61 coordinated task forces representing more than 5,400 federal, state and local law enforcement and prosecutorial agencies.
