Strengthening Child Exploitation Enforcement Act
Sponsored By: Representative Nehls
Introduced
Summary
Strengthening federal criminal rules for kidnapping and sexual misconduct involving minors. This bill would add new federal offenses and tighten legal definitions and penalties for kidnapping and sexual contact with persons under 16.
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- Creates a new federal crime for knowingly causing intentional, non-clothed touching of the genitalia of someone under 16 in federal jurisdictions, including maritime areas, federal prisons, and facilities under federal contract. Penalties include fines, imprisonment, or both.
- Limits the lack-of-consent defense for victims under 16 by requiring an offender to prove by a preponderance of the evidence that they reasonably believed the victim was at least 16. It also makes the change to the travel element in section 2241(c) retroactive to conduct before, on, or after enactment.
- Revises kidnapping and sexual-offense language across the federal code. Changes include adding "obtaining by defrauding or deceiving" to kidnapping, replacing "crosses a State line" with "travels in interstate or foreign commerce," expanding attempt and penalty rules in section 2244, and updating cross-references and sentencing classifications to match the new framework.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Tougher charges for child sexual contact
This bill would broaden federal crimes for sexual contact with minors and treat attempts the same as completed crimes. It would cover causing another person to commit the contact and contact by an individual, closing gaps. It would also create a new crime for knowingly touching a child’s genitals, not through clothing, to abuse or arouse, in federal areas and prisons, including attempts. Related sentencing cross-references would be updated so these cases could be charged and punished under existing penalties.
Stronger kidnapping rules for minors
This bill would expand federal kidnapping to include getting a person by fraud or deception. For victims under age 16, consent would not be a defense. An accused person would have to prove, by a preponderance of the evidence, that they reasonably thought the victim was at least 16. If enacted, this could make more cases chargeable in federal court.
Wider federal reach for travel crimes
This bill would change the rule from "crosses a State line" to "travels in interstate or foreign commerce" for certain child sex crimes. It would apply this change to conduct before, on, or after enactment. It would also expand travel-related offenses to cover any conduct involving sexual activity, not only a narrow "sexual act" term. If passed, more travel-based cases could be brought in federal court.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Nehls
TX • R
Cosponsors
Dean (PA)
PA • D
Sponsored 4/8/2025
Davis (NC)
NC • D
Sponsored 4/8/2025
Moore (AL)
AL • R
Sponsored 4/8/2025
Tiffany
WI • R
Sponsored 4/8/2025
Gottheimer
NJ • D
Sponsored 6/17/2025
Vindman
VA • D
Sponsored 8/12/2025
Gillen
NY • D
Sponsored 10/10/2025
DesJarlais
TN • R
Sponsored 2/9/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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