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Two of Virginia’s members of Congress introduced the Child Rescue Act Monday — the legislation is aimed at helping children who are suffering abuse. Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA07) and Rep. Ben Cline (R-VA06) introduced the bill that they say will create a national commission to study proactive strategies and identify the resources needed to locate and rescue children from sexual exploitation and abuse.
“The sexual exploitation and abuse of children is an epidemic in our country. We must consider every avenue to protect America’s children and prosecute the criminals who commit these horrors,” Spanberger said in a statement Monday.
“For several years, I have supported the great work of the Bedford, VA-based Southern Virginia Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, one of over 60 task forces combating online child predators across the country,” Cline said in the same announcement as Spanberger.
In addition to Spanberger and Cline, the legislation is being co-sponsored by Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (D-PA01), Burgess Owens (R-UT04), and Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL23).
In 2008, President George W. Bush signed the PROTECT Our Children Act into law, which required the U.S. Attorney General to create and implement a National Strategy for Child Exploitation Prevention and Interdiction and to appoint a high-level official to coordinate that strategy. Additionally, the Act required that an updated strategy be submitted to Congress on a biannual basis.
In the 13 years since the Act became law, only two such reports have been developed, however. With limited resources, U.S. law enforcement agencies are increasingly unable to adequately prioritize and respond to the rapidly growing number of Cyber Tips about online abuse and are unable to proactively work cases of child sexual exploitation in their own jurisdictions.
“The scale of demand for child sexual abuse imagery in this country should disturb everyone,” said Scott Berkowitz, the president & founder of RAINN. “We thank Reps. Spanberger and Cline for their leadership and urge members of Congress to support this critical bill.”
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