Florida Rep. Laurel Lee, Bipartisan Lawmakers Introduce ‘Renewed Hope Act’ to Combat Online Child Exploitation

In a bipartisan effort to strengthen the fight against online child sexual exploitation, Congresswoman Laurel Lee (R-FL), U.S. Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25) have signed the Renewed Hope Act.

This legislation is intended to enhance the ability of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to identify, rescue, and protect victims of online child sexual abuse, and to prosecute perpetrators.

The Renewed Hope Act aims to provide additional resources to DHS’s Cyber ​​Crimes Center (C3) and the Child Exploitation Investigations Unit to enhance their capacity to investigate child exploitation, child pornography, and identify child victims.

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“The internet platforms we use every day are being used to distribute and collect child sexual abuse material (CSAM),” said Rep. Lee. “CSAM and child exploitation are increasing at alarming rates, and Congress must ensure that the men and women fighting these crimes have the tools and resources they need. The Renewed Hope Act will provide much-needed resources in the fight against online child abuse and help protect our nation’s children.”

The legislation has received broad support, with notable support from Tim Tebow, founder of the Tim Tebow Foundation. Tebow, an outspoken advocate for saving children from abuse, said, “Hundreds of thousands of children are living in unimaginable darkness and enduring horrific abuse. This bill is critical to building a stronger network of rescues to protect these innocent lives.”

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“For too long, hundreds of thousands of girls and boys have endured horrific abuse, often at the hands of adults who should be protecting them,” said Tim Tebow. “Children across our country are now living in the darkest of circumstances and crying out for help. Their pain must galvanize us to action. That’s why we’re calling on Congress to pass legislation to strengthen our nation’s response to identify and rescue these boys and girls. Because even with law enforcement and organizations working around the clock to save these children, it’s simply not enough. I’m so grateful to our leaders for shining a light on this bipartisan issue so we can build a stronger rescue team of analysts, investigators and law enforcement as we unite to find and protect every child in our country who is suffering at the hands of this great evil.”

“Our children deserve to be protected from the ever-increasing number of digital predators seeking to harm them, which means we must expand our efforts to identify and support children who are victims of this online abuse and exploitation,” said Rep. Wasserman Schultz. “As reports of predatory behavior against children continue to rise, I am proud to join my colleagues in introducing this bipartisan, bicameral legislation that will expand our ability to identify victims of child sexual exploitation by investing in the frontline workers working to find and save these innocent lives.”

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The Renewed Hope Act builds on 2015 Human Exploitation Rescue Operations (HERO) Actwhich established the Child Exploitation Investigations Unit within U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The new bill seeks to:

• Provide more resources for hiring and training computer forensic and criminal analysts.
• Clarify the role of the Child Exploitation Investigations Unit within DHS.
• Enhance training in advanced victim identification technology for HSI personnel and other law enforcement agencies.

The legislation is supported by several organizations, including the Tim Tebow Foundation, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) and the International Justice Mission.

Read: Florida court sentences Uzbek national to 19 years in prison for international exchange of CSAM

As child exploitation continues to rise, lawmakers from all parties are calling for swift action to ensure law enforcement has the resources they need to protect the nation’s most vulnerable population: children.

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