S 1333
Strengthening Child Exploitation Enforcement Act
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Bill overview
The Strengthening Child Exploitation Enforcement Act amends federal criminal laws to strengthen penalties and enforcement related to crimes against minors. Specifically, it modifies kidnapping statutes to clarify that defrauding or deceiving a third party constitutes kidnapping, and it introduces new provisions addressing intentional touching of a minor by an adult with the intent to abuse or arouse sexual desire. The bill also expands the definition of sexual abuse offenses to include knowingly causing intentional touching of a minor and criminalizes attempting to commit abusive sexual contact, aligning penalties with completed offenses. Finally, it adjusts penalties for civil rights offenses involving sexual misconduct.
Key provisions
- Clarifies kidnapping statutes to include offenses involving defrauding or deceiving a third party.
- Expands the definition of sexual abuse offenses to include intentional touching of a minor by an adult.
- Criminalizes attempting to commit abusive sexual contact.
- Modifies penalties for civil rights offenses involving sexual misconduct.
- Addresses illicit sexual conduct with minors by specifying aggravated sexual abuse for crossing international lines with intent to engage in a sexual act with a child under 12.
- Defines a defense for consent in kidnapping cases involving victims under 16, requiring offender to prove reasonable belief of the victim's age.
- Updates penalties for offenses involving intentional touching of a minor's genitalia.
- Adjusts penalties for attempted offenses related to sexual contact.
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119th CONGRESS — 1st Session
S. 1333
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
A BILL
To amend title 18, United States Code, to modify provisions relating to kidnapping, sexual abuse, and illicit sexual conduct with respect to minors.
This Act may be cited as the Strengthening Child Exploitation Enforcement Act
.
in section 1201—
obtains by defrauding or deceiving any person,after
abducts,;
in subsection (b), by inserting obtained by defrauding or deceiving any person,
after abducted,
; and
in subsection (g), by adding at the end the following:
For an offense described in this subsection involving a victim who has not attained the age of 16 years, it is not a defense that the victim consented to the conduct of the offender, unless the offender can establish by a preponderance of the evidence that the offender reasonably believed that the victim had attained the age of 16 years.
in chapter 109A—
in section 2241(c), by striking crosses a State line
and inserting travels in interstate or foreign commerce
;
in section 2242(3), by striking , to include doing so
and inserting or
;
in section 2243, by adding at the end the following:
in section 2244—
in subsection (a)—
by redesignating paragraphs (1) through (6) as subparagraphs (A) through (F), respectively, and adjusting the margins accordingly;
by striking Whoever
and inserting the following:
Whoever
in paragraph (1), as so designated—
in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), as so redesignated, by striking if so to do
and inserting if to do so
;
in subparagraph (A), as so redesignated, by striking ten
and inserting 10
;
in subparagraph (B), as so redesignated, by striking three
and inserting 3
;
in subparagraph (C), as so redesignated, by striking two
and inserting 2
;
in subparagraph (D), as so redesignated, by striking two
and inserting 2
; and
in subparagraph (F), as so redesignated, by striking the semicolon at the end and inserting a period; and
by adding at the end the following:
Whoever attempts to commit an offense under paragraph (1) shall be subject to the same penalty as for a completed offense.
in subsection (b)—
by inserting or causes
after engages in
;
by inserting or by
after sexual contact with
;
by inserting , or attempts to do so,
after other person’s permission
; and
by striking two
and inserting 2
; and
in subsection (c), by striking If the sexual contact that violates this section (other than subsection (a)(5)) is with an individual
and inserting If the sexual contact or attempted sexual contact that a person engages in or causes in violation of this section (other than subsection (a)(1)(E)) is with or by an individual
; and
in section 2423(g)(1)—
by striking a sexual act (as defined in section 2246) with
and inserting any conduct involving
; and
by striking sexual act occurred
and inserting conduct occurred
.
The amendment to section 2241(c) of title 18, United States Code, made by subsection (a) shall apply to conduct that occurred before, on, or after the date of enactment of this Act.
in paragraph (2), by striking section 2244(a)(5),
and inserting section 2244(a)(1)(E), or an attempt to engage in or cause such contact as prohibited by section 2244(a)(2),
;
in paragraph (4), in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking subsection (a)(1) or (b) of section 2244, but excluding abusive sexual contact through the clothing
and inserting section 2244(a)(1)(A), an attempt to engage in or cause such contact as prohibited by section 2244(a)(2), or abusive sexual contact of the type prohibited by section 2244(b), but excluding abusive sexual contact through the clothing or an attempt to engage in or cause such contact
;
in paragraph (5), in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking section 2244(a)(2)
and inserting section 2244(a)(1)(B) or an attempt to engage in or cause such contact as prohibited by section 2244(a)(2)
; and
in paragraph (6), in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking subsection (a)(3), (a)(4), or (b) of section 2244
and inserting subparagraph (C) or (D) of section 2244(a)(1), an attempt to engage in or cause such contact as prohibited by section 2244(a)(2), or abusive sexual contact of the type prohibited by section 2244(b)
.
Section 3559 of title 18, United States Code, is amended—
in subsection (c)(2)(F)(i), by striking sections 2244(a)(1) and (a)(2)
and inserting subparagraphs (A) and (B) of section 2244(a)(1)
; and
in subsection (e)(2)(A), by striking 2244(a)(1)
and inserting 2244(a)(1)(A)
.