[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 145 (Tuesday, October 13, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2136]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      CHILD PROTECTION AND SEXUAL PREDATOR PUNISHMENT ACT OF 1998

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                    HON. ROBERT E. (BUD) CRAMER, JR.

                               of alabama

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, October 12, 1998

  Mr. CRAMER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of passage of the 
Senate Amendments to H.R. 3494, the Child Protection and Sexual 
Predator Punishment Act. As a former District Attorney and founder of 
the National Children's Advocacy Center, I can state, without a doubt, 
that this legislation will make a positive impact on the lives of 
children across this nation.
  This bill will protect children from Internet-based sex crimes and 
toughen punishments for sexual predators. It will crack down on the 
criminals who prey on our kids.
  The Internet has opened up new ways for sexual predators to get 
access to our children, and we have to take serious measures to stop 
these criminals and punish them. The bill makes it a federal crime to 
use the Internet to contact a minor for illegal sexual activities such 
as rape, child sexual abuse, child prostitution, or statutory rape. 
Under this legislation, using the Internet to contact a minor for these 
kinds of sex crimes would result in a punishment of up to 5 years in 
prison. The bill also makes it a federal offense to use the Internet to 
knowingly send obscene material to a minor.
  I am especially proud of the provision in the bill that would allow 
volunteer groups that serve children to perform background checks to 
make sure their volunteers have no record of crime against kids.
  The bill gives groups like the Boys and Girls Clubs and Big Brothers-
Big Sisters access to fingerprint checks to make sure their volunteers 
haven't been convicted of crimes against children, like child sex 
abuse. Most states, including Alabama, don't have laws to let volunteer 
groups do these kinds of background checks. For the sake of our 
children's safety, we have to change that, and that's what this bill is 
designed to do.
  I appreciate the bipartisan approach to this legislation. In matters 
dealing with the safety of our children, it is important that we put 
politics aside and focus on solutions.

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