Congress Passes Bipartisan Bill Criminalizing Sextortion of Minors and Increasing Sentencing Penalties

People who threaten minors with explicit images in order to coerce them into creating more such material would face new federal criminal charges under this bill. This closes a gap in existing law, meaning offenders who previously might have avoided prosecution for this specific type of threat could now be charged, convicted, and sentenced to significant prison time.

Children and teenagers — many of whom are students — are the primary intended beneficiaries of this bill. It targets 'sextortion,' where predators threaten to share explicit images of a minor to coerce them into producing more material. By making this specific threat a federal crime, the bill aims to give law enforcement a stronger tool to protect young people from online exploitation.

The bill explicitly recognizes victim harm, including cases where the offense was the direct cause of a victim's death by suicide. By directing the Sentencing Commission to account for the severity of emotional trauma inflicted on victims, the policy acknowledges the profound mental health consequences of child sexual abuse material crimes and builds that recognition into the justice system's response.