Federal laws against kidnapping, sexual abuse, and sexual exploitation of children would be strengthened and expanded. The bill broadens the kidnapping statute to cover cases where a child is obtained through deception or fraud, not just physical abduction. It creates a new federal offense for intentional sexual touching of a child under 16. It removes the defense of consent for kidnapping victims under 16 and expands jurisdiction for sexual abuse cases involving interstate travel. The bill also makes it easier to prosecute Americans who engage in illicit sexual conduct with minors abroad by covering any conduct — not just sexual acts as narrowly defined.
Congressional Summary
This bill makes changes to federal criminal laws related to various offenses, particularly sexual abuse offenses against minors.The bill revises the federal kidnapping statute by specifying that obtaining a victim by defrauding or deceiving a third party constitutes the offense of kidnapping. Additionally, for a kidnapping offense that involves a victim who has not attained the age of 16, the bill specifies that it is not a defense that the victim consented to the conduct of the offender, unless the offender establishes by a preponderance of the evidence that the offender reasonably believed that the victim had attained the age of 16.The bill also revises statutes related to sexual abuse offenses against minors to specify the following:that crossing international lines with the intent to engage in a sexual act with a child who has not attained the age of 12 constitutes aggravated sexual abuse (currently, the statute only references crossing state lines),that the offense of sexual abuse of a minor also includes knowingly causing the intentional touching of any person by a person who has not attained the age of 16, andthat attempting to commit abusive sexual contact is also a crime that is subject to the same penalty as the completed offense.
Legislative Subjects
Details
- Congress
- 119th
- Chamber
- Senate
- Status
- summarized
- Action
- Passed Senate
- Action Date
- 2025-09-29
- Date Added
- 2026-03-30
- Source
- Congress.gov →
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