As Congress debates a critical package of bills aimed at curbing online sextortion and threats against children (the Combating Online Predators Act, the Stop Sextortion Act, the Ending Coercion of Children and Harm Online Act, and the Sentencing Accountability for Exploitation Act), we are reminded that the first duty of government is the protection of the innocent. Those who prey on children should have no place to hide.
The surge in online sextortion—where predators coerce minors into sending explicit images and then use those images to blackmail them—is a plague on our digital age. Explicitly criminalizing the threat to distribute sensitive images can help prosecutors more effectively and consistently charge and convict these bad actors.
To make matters worse, there is also an unfortunate and terrifying trend where young Americans are coerced through online threats to commit dangerous crimes to themselves and others – including murder, suicide, or arson. Adult predators – sometimes outside the boundaries of the U.S. – are targeting vulnerable youth with no goal other than sowing chaos and harnessing control. Such threats and coercive destruction must be addressed by Congress.
At Right On Crime, we believe that criminal justice system is most effective when it prioritizes public safety, honors the rule of law, and ensures that taxpayer dollars are spent on what actually works. For years, we have led the charge on conservative solutions that emphasize second chances for those who have earned them. But there is a vital, often misunderstood corollary to that mission: the same system that offers grace to the rehabilitated must be unyielding in holding dangerous and violent offenders accountable. This is particularly true when victims are our most vulnerable.
Some might ask how aggressive prosecution of online predators squares with “reform.” The answer is actually quite simple. Conservative criminal justice is about prioritization. We want to stop wasting prison beds on low-risk, non-violent offenders so that we have the space and the resources to keep the truly dangerous behind bars.
For example, the recent passage of the Trafficking Survivors Relief Act perfectly illustrates prioritization. For too long, victims of human trafficking—including juveniles—were treated as criminals for non-violent acts they were forced to commit by their captors. The TSRA allows for the vacating and expungement of certain records. This is not about being soft on crime. This law is about recognizing that a person coerced into a crime is a victim, not a perpetrator. It removes the permanent scarlet letter that can prevent survivors from getting jobs, securing housing, and being present for their own children. By clearing the names of the exploited, the TSRA allows law enforcement to focus their limited resources on the traffickers themselves.
On the other side of this are the truly dangerous and who seek to hide behind the internet to threaten, coerce, and extort children. While there is certainly capacity for human redemption, there is a clear distinction between a non-violent individual seeking a second chance and an adult predator who systematically targets the vulnerable. A system that cannot protect a child from a predator is a system that has failed its most basic mandate.
Simultaneously, juvenile offenders who make mistakes should not have their entire lives destroyed by bad decisions made at an impressionable age. Who among us made a mistake – even a costly one – in the turbulent teenage years? Criminalizing violent, dangerous, and despicable behavior is an absolute non-negotiable. But it must remain tailored to the offense and the offender. Getting this balance right is no small task, but one that must be faced head on.
That is why these proposals have gained and continue to earn bipartisan support. Republicans and Democrats alike can – and should – support these targeted solutions. The goal is not to create new crimes for the sake of appearing tough on crime, but to ensure that existing harm can be prosecuted consistently when predators exploit gaps in the law. Good criminal justice policy requires precision, and protecting children from exploitation is precisely where the law should be focused.
At a time when bipartisan agreement can feel increasingly rare, Congress has an opportunity to come together around a clear and urgent public safety priority. These bills focus accountability where it belongs—on predators who intentionally target vulnerable young people—while preserving the broader commitment to proportionality, rehabilitation, and second chances that characterize a fair criminal justice system. Congress must seize this moment and act now.