A new federal law is dramatically expanding the government's ability to find and rescue children who have been sexually exploited online, and Congressman Andy Biggs (R-AZ) is among those who helped make it happen.
The Renewed Hope Act, originally introduced by Representative Laurel Lee (R-FL) and co-led by Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), has been signed into law.
The legislation significantly increases the number of specialized victim identification specialists at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), jumping from just 7 to 200, giving law enforcement far greater capacity to identify children depicted in child sexual abuse material, known as CSAM, and bring perpetrators to justice.
The numbers driving the legislation are difficult to sit with because the international database of unidentified child victims has grown from 57,000 to more than 89,000 in just two years, even after 20,000 children were successfully rescued.
Additional Reports
Tim Tebow of the Tim Tebow Foundation found that in 2024 alone, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received over 20 million reports involving nearly 29 million suspected incidents of child sexual exploitation. In just the last six months, law enforcement identified more than 338,000 unique U.S.-based IP addresses trading abuse material across peer-to-peer networks.
Biggs made clear he sees this as an urgent fight. "Depraved criminals are using online platforms to push children toward self-harm, suicide, and other degrading acts, often hiding behind anonymity and digital manipulation," he wrote on X. "Federal law must be clear, modern, and strong enough to meet that threat."
He also pointed to the resource gap facing investigators. "Law enforcement officials must also have the resources they desperately require to combat this great evil amongst us," he added, expressing commitment to working with colleagues and partners across the country to protect children and hold offenders accountable.
Advocates are grateful for the progress but clear-eyed about what remains ahead. With the database of unidentified victims still growing, supporters say the passage of this law is a critical step, but far from the finish line.
