The Combating Online Predators Act (COP Act) adds a new federal crime to existing child sexual exploitation laws: knowingly sending or distributing a threat to release child sexual abuse material (CSAM) with the intent of coercing a minor — or someone the sender believes is a minor — into creating or transmitting more sexually explicit images. The bill amends two sections of federal law (18 U.S.C. 2252 and 2252A) that already cover possession and distribution of CSAM, slotting the new threat-based coercion offense alongside those existing prohibitions and bringing it under the same penalty structure.
Congressional Summary
Combating Online Predators Act or the COP ActThis bill establishes new federal criminal offenses for threatening to distribute a visual depiction of a minor (or person believed to be a minor) engaging in sexually explicit conduct with the intent that the minor (or person believed to be a minor) create or transmit a visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct. (This practice is commonly referred to as sextortion.) The bill also prohibits attempts and conspiracies to commit the offenses.
Details
- Congress
- 119th
- Chamber
- Senate
- Status
- summarized
- Action
- Introduced in Senate
- Action Date
- 2026-01-27
- Date Added
- 2026-06-05
- Source
- Congress.gov →
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