Representative Andy Biggs (R-AZ) issued a statement celebrating the passage of his Coercion and Sexual Abuse Free Environment (CSAFE) Act, saying it "delivers long-overdue legal clarity and serious consequences for criminals who coerce and exploit children."
As suggested, Rep. Biggs' CSAFE Act strengthens federal penalties for online predators who coerce minors into acts of self-harm, animal abuse, suicide, and other acts of degradation or abuse. Specifically, the minimum sentence for coercing minors into such acts is ten years, which is raised to twenty if serious bodily harm occurs, and finally, if a victim dies, the perpetrator is sentenced to life.
"The internet has become a hunting ground for predators who use manipulation, coercion, and psychological warfare to target children in the darkest ways imaginable," said Rep. Biggs in a press release celebrating the unanimous House passage of the bill. "For too long, gaps in federal law have allowed these offenders to hide behind screens, anonymity, and outdated statutes while young lives are shattered. The CSAFE Act closes those gaps and gives law enforcement the clear authority necessary to hunt down and prosecute those who exploit children."
The Arizona Congressman implored the Senate to pass the bill so President Donald Trump can sign it into law.
In October, after a local 13-year-old girl had been abducted after meeting an adult online through the popular online game Roblox, Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes secured the necessary funds to fight online child exploitation within Arizona.
That same month, Florida's Representative Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) issued a warning to parents on X about the 764 group, which coerces minors online into the acts highlighted in Biggs' CSAFE Act.
"I think that there are international terrorists running this [group], but they are specifically targeting young women that are vulnerable, using sex and exploitation, and then encouraging them for self-harm, mutilation, and suicide," Rep. Luna commented. "So if you are a parent, watch out."
