Strengthening Child Protection: New Laws and Penalties
This new law modifies provisions related to kidnapping, sexual abuse, and illicit sexual conduct involving minors. It aims to enhance the protection of children by making it harder for offenders to escape accountability and by expanding the scope of penalties for crimes against children. Citizens can expect stricter consequences for those who harm children.
Key points
Broadening the scope of kidnapping offenses to include obtaining a victim by defrauding or deceiving any person.
Consent of a victim under 16 years old is not a defense, unless the offender reasonably believed the victim was at least 16.
Expanding federal jurisdiction for child sexual abuse cases to include interstate or foreign commerce travel.
Introducing new provisions for intentional touching of genitalia of persons under 16 in specific locations like federal prisons, with severe penalties.
Standardizing and increasing penalties for attempts to commit sexual offenses against children, treating them the same as completed offenses.
Amending definitions and references in the criminal code to better reflect new child sexual exploitation provisions.
Introduced
Citizen Poll