[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 70 (Tuesday, June 6, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5494-S5495]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. SANTORUM:
  S. 3432. A bill to protect children from exploitation by adults over 
the Internet, and for other purposes; to the Committee on the 
Judiciary.
  Mr. SANTORUM. Mr. President, over the past few years, we have heard 
the tragic stories of how sexual predators have targeted children in 
our states. We have seen troubling headlines from Pennsylvania and 
across the country, and the frequency seems to be increasing rather 
than decreasing. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children 
in partnership with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of 
Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Postal 
Inspection Service, state and local law enforcement, and Internet 
Crimes Against Children Task Forces operates the CyberTipline. The 
number of referrals to the ICAC task forces has increased from 2,002 
referrals in January-March 2005 to 3,392 referrals in January-March 
2006. Additionally, the prosecutions in child pornography and child 
abuse cases have increased nearly every year since 1995.
  Recently Congress has heard disturbing and saddening accounts of how 
these predators have used the Internet to exploit our children. As a 
father of six, I am keenly aware of the dangers

[[Page S5495]]

to our children and the concerns of parents across Pennsylvania and the 
Nation. In February, the Department of Justice launched Project Safe 
Childhood, a initiative to ``combat the proliferation of technology-
facilitated sexual exploitation crimes against children.''
  ``Project Safe Childhood'' has five main purposes. First, it seeks to 
integrate Federal, State, and local efforts to investigate and 
prosecute child exploitation cases including partnerships by each U.S. 
Attorney with each Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force in their 
district, other Federal, State, and local law enforcement, and 
community and faith-based organizations to develop district-specific 
strategic plans to combat and prosecute child exploitation crimes. 
Second, the Project allows major case coordination by the Department of 
Justice or other appropriate Federal agency. Third, it increases 
Federal involvement in child exploitation cases by providing additional 
investigative tools and increased penalties available under Federal 
law. Fourth, the Project provides increased training of Federal, State, 
and local law enforcement regarding the investigation and prosecution 
of computer-facilitated crimes against children. Finally, it promotes 
community awareness and educational programs to raise national 
awareness about the threat of online sexual predators and to provide 
information to families on how to report possible violations.
  According to recent Congressional testimony from Alice S. Fisher, 
Assistant U.S. Attorney in charge of the Criminal Division, and from 
William W. Mercer, Principle Associate Deputy Attorney General noted, 
this initiative is working.
  On May 17, 2006, the Department of Justice released a document that 
outlines the need for this project, an overview of the program and 
guides for how law enforcement, parents, teachers, and communities can 
come together to implement this program effectively. While I am 
encouraged by the DOJ actions to raise the profile and enforcement 
through Project Safe Childhood--and appreciate all that many at the 
Department of Justice and the State and local levels are doing to catch 
and prosecute these predators--I am concerned that this program does 
not have the legislative authorization or dedicated funding that it 
needs to accomplish its goal of protecting our children.
  I intend to work to help the Department of Justice fully implement 
and expand this initiative, therefore, I am introducing the Project 
Safe Childhood Authorization Act. Specifically, the bill will authorize 
and expand Project Safe Childhood; add new elements regarding child 
exploitation crimes that have been requested by the Department of 
Justice to strengthen the requirements to effectively report child 
pornography, require warning labels on commercial Websites that contain 
sexually explicit material, and prohibit the embedding of words or 
images on a Website in order to deceive individuals into viewing 
obscenity or material harmful to minors; increase penalties for 
registered sex offenders, child sex trafficking and sexual abuse, and 
other child exploitation crimes; create Children's Safety Online 
Awareness Campaigns; and authorize grants for online child safety 
programs.
  The bill authorizes $18 million for fiscal year 2007 for the initial 
implementation of Project Safe Childhood, and up to $29 million for the 
expansion of the program for fiscal year 2007, and such sums as may be 
necessary for each of the 5 succeeding fiscal years.
  I know all of us--particularly those of us with children--want to 
know how to keep our children safe, and want to know that anyone that 
endangers or harms our children will be punished. I am glad to be here 
to take this important step in protecting our children. I hope my 
colleagues will agree with me and we will pass the Project Safe 
Childhood Authorization Act this year.
                                 ______