Tampa Republic

Congresswoman Laurel Lee (FL-15) and Congressman Glenn Ivey (MD-4) have introduced the Protection of Child Victims from Online Predators Act. This bipartisan bill aims to amend title 18 of the U.S. Code to clarify that a "notice" or "advertisement" seeking or offering child pornography can occur within private, one-on-one communications.

"We are seeing more and more children being exploited online across our nation," said Congresswoman Laurel Lee. "Protecting our children from online exploitation is one of my top priorities in Congress. This bipartisan bill will help protect children by ensuring abusers who solicit or share child pornography via one-on-one communication will be held accountable."

Congressman Glenn Ivey emphasized the importance of protecting children from pedophiles. "As a former prosecutor, Congresswoman Laurel Lee understands, like I do, that criminal cases against online sexual predators must have solid legal predicates. This bill would assure that anywhere across the federal legal landscape that any notice or advertisement from adults to children for explicit acts or images is consistent and clear," he stated. "When it comes to one-to-one communications with minors from these purveyors of child pornography, this conduct harms kids. I fully support this legislation and commend Rep. Lee’s partnership on this matter and stand with her to protect our young people. We must deter these predators from acting on their worst impulses; this bill helps us do that."

The bill addresses the issue of dangerous child abusers sending private messages to victims or other exploiters to solicit or share child pornography. Under current federal law, anyone who knowingly makes, prints, publishes, or causes such actions regarding notices or advertisements seeking child pornography shall be punished under 18 U.S.C. § 2251(d)(1).

Federal courts in various circuits have ruled that private communications soliciting or sharing child pornography constitute making a "notice" or "advertisement" under section 2251(d). However, not all circuit courts follow this interpretation.

The proposed amendment seeks to explicitly state that private communications can constitute a notice or advertisement without requiring public display.

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