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119-s-3398119th Congress

Stop Sextortion Act

Sponsored By: Senator Grassley, Chuck [R-IA]

Introduced

Summary

Criminalizes threats to share child sexual abuse material and raises penalties for sextortion. It makes threatening to distribute sexual images of minors a punishable offense even when no actual image exists and increases prison terms when offenders use a minor’s explicit conduct to intimidate, coerce, extort, or cause substantial emotional distress.

Show full summary
  • Victims and families: Expands protection from "sextortion" by outlawing threats to distribute visual depictions of minors whether the material exists or not.
  • Sentencing and defendants: Adds a 10-year maximum prison-term increase when the offense involves the knowing use of a minor’s sexually explicit conduct to intimidate, coerce, extort, or cause substantial emotional distress.
  • Prosecutors and courts: Amends 18 U.S.C. 2252, 2252A, 1466A, and 2260A to cover threats, attempts, and conspiracies and to standardize the added penalties.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

2 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 0 costs, 2 mixed.

Higher prison terms for sextortion

This bill would add extra prison time when someone uses child sexual images to intimidate, coerce, extort, or cause serious emotional distress. If enacted, qualifying federal offenses under the listed statutes would have up to 10 more years added to the statutory maximum sentence. The change would apply when the defendant knowingly used child pornography or a sexual image of a minor with those harmful intents.

New federal sextortion threat crimes

This bill would make threatening to share visual sexual images or child pornography to intimidate, coerce, extort, or cause serious emotional distress federal crimes. It would let prosecutors punish attempts or conspiracies to make those threats even if no images or videos actually existed. The change would cover threats that cross state lines or involve foreign commerce.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Grassley, Chuck [R-IA]

IA • R

Cosponsors

  • Sen. Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL]

    IL • D

    Sponsored 12/9/2025

  • Sen. Klobuchar, Amy [D-MN]

    MN • D

    Sponsored 12/9/2025

  • Sen. Cornyn, John [R-TX]

    TX • R

    Sponsored 12/9/2025

  • Sen. Blackburn, Marsha [R-TN]

    TN • R

    Sponsored 12/9/2025

  • Sen. Graham, Lindsey [R-SC]

    SC • R

    Sponsored 12/9/2025

  • Sen. Shaheen, Jeanne [D-NH]

    NH • D

    Sponsored 12/17/2025

  • Sen. Moody, Ashley [R-FL]

    FL • R

    Sponsored 12/18/2025

  • Sen. Kennedy, John [R-LA]

    LA • R

    Sponsored 1/27/2026

  • Sen. Britt, Katie Boyd [R-AL]

    AL • R

    Sponsored 2/25/2026

  • Sen. Gallego, Ruben [D-AZ]

    AZ • D

    Sponsored 3/9/2026

  • Sen. Cruz, Ted [R-TX]

    TX • R

    Sponsored 2/26/2026

  • Sen. King, Angus S., Jr. [I-ME]

    ME • I

    Sponsored 3/2/2026

  • Sen. Cortez Masto, Catherine [D-NV]

    NV • D

    Sponsored 3/3/2026

  • Sen. Kelly, Mark [D-AZ]

    AZ • D

    Sponsored 3/4/2026

  • Sen. Slotkin, Elissa [D-MI]

    MI • D

    Sponsored 4/15/2026

  • Sen. Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [D-NY]

    NY • D

    Sponsored 5/21/2026

  • Sen. Hyde-Smith, Cindy [R-MS]

    MS • R

    Sponsored 6/1/2026

  • Sen. Rosen, Jacky [D-NV]

    NV • D

    Sponsored 6/10/2026

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

View on Congress.gov
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