[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 188 (Monday, December 5, 2022)]
[House]
[Pages H8750-H8752]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
PROVIDING RESOURCES, OFFICERS, AND TECHNOLOGY TO ERADICATE CYBER
THREATS TO OUR CHILDREN ACT OF 2022
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass
the bill (S. 4834) to reauthorize the National Internet Crimes Against
Children Task Force Program.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
S. 4834
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Providing Resources,
Officers, and Technology to Eradicate Cyber Threats to Our
Children Act of 2022'' or the ``PROTECT Our Children Act of
2022''.
SEC. 2. REAUTHORIZATION.
Section 107(a)(10) of the PROTECT Our Children Act of 2008
(34 U.S.C. 21117(a)(10)) is amended by striking ``2022'' and
inserting ``2024''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from
Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee) and the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Jordan) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Texas.
General Leave
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all
Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their
remarks and include extraneous material on S. 4834.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from Texas?
There was no objection.
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 4834, the PROTECT Our Children
Act of 2022, a critical piece of bipartisan legislation that would
reauthorize the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, or ICAC,
which has worked tirelessly for 14 years to protect our children from
online predators.
It is no exaggeration to say the internet today is one of the most
dangerous places for our Nation's children, many of whom spend hours
online each day. Predators use social media and other online resources
to groom and entice children to commit sexual acts.
The internet makes it easy for sex and labor traffickers to gain
clandestine access to children and teens, recruit them into their
organization, and exploit them. The internet is also the primary
vehicle for distributing child sex abuse material and committing
criminal acts of extortion against minors. It also provides an open
forum for cyberbullying and online harassment, which can lead victims
of such conduct to withdraw, become depressed, and even commit suicide.
To combat these monstrous crimes and to protect our youth from
exploitation, ICAC task forces work with Federal, State, and local law
enforcement to develop an effective holistic response to cybercrimes
against children. Their programs include forensic and investigative
components, training and technical assistance, victim services, and
community education.
[[Page H8751]]
This network is made up of 61 separate forces, three of which are in
my home State of Texas. These task forces are created and authorized by
the original PROTECT Our Children Act of 2008, which expired this past
September at the end of the fiscal year.
Online threats to children and the need for ICAC task forces are only
growing. Between 2008 and 2021, the number of these arrests rose from
2,500 to more than 10,000 each year. This agency's work resulted in
more than 137,000 investigations and 90,300 forensic exams in 2021
alone.
Earlier this year, the southern Texas task force received significant
funding, its first, authorized by the PROTECT Our Children Act allowing
it to provide substantial investigative, prosecutorial, and victim
services and to utilize tips from the ICAC database and the National
Center for Missing and Exploited Children, a longstanding agency that
has been fighting for missing and exploited children to identify and
rescue child victims.
The work of these task forces nationwide will not be able to continue
unless we fund this critical law enforcement initiative. It is,
therefore, essential that we reauthorize the ICAC program by passing
the bipartisan PROTECT Our Children Act of 2022. The act would extend
funding for these task forces and programs through 2024.
Without this crucial legislation, our children will remain vulnerable
to those who seek to exploit and hurt them in the most horrific of ways
with the ease and anonymity that the internet provides.
I commend my colleague, Representative Wasserman Schultz, for her
work on the PROTECT Our Children Act as far back as 2008, and I urge my
colleagues to support this bill.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. JORDAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, S. 4834 reauthorizes the National Strategy for Child
Exploitation Prevention and Interdiction for an additional 2 years.
In 2008, Congress passed the PROTECT Our Children Act, which required
the attorney general to develop and implement a National Strategy for
Child Exploitation Prevention and Interdiction.
The PROTECT Our Children Act formally authorized the Internet Crimes
Against Children task forces. These task forces support State and local
law enforcement agencies in combating online enticement of children and
the proliferation of online child sexual abuse material.
Since its inception, nearly 90,000 individuals have been arrested
because of complaints reviewed by these task forces. They not only put
the dangerous criminals behind bars, but they also provide outreach to
communities to spread awareness about and, hopefully, prevent internet
crimes against kids.
Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``yes'' vote on this legislation, and I yield
back the balance of my time.
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record: ``Houston ICAC Task Force
Records Nine Arrests for Child Exploitation'' showing that there is
true evidence that this program works.
[From the Texas News, July 7, 2022]
Houston ICAC Task Force Records 9 Arrests for Child Exploitation
(By Amy Gordon)
During the weeks of June 2022, the Montgomery County
District Attorney's Office (MCDAO) Cybercrimes Against
Children (ICAC) Division, part of the Houston Metro ICAC Task
Force, conducted a multi-day interagency operation targeting
individuals who were actively children sought sexual
exploitation via the Internet in Montgomery County. Multiple
law enforcement agencies were involved in the operation
including the Montgomery County Attorney's Office, Federal
Bureau of Investigation, Texas Department of Public Safety,
Houston Police Department, Conroe Police Department,
Montgomery County Pct. 1, pt. 2, pt. 3 and pt. 5 Police
Departments, Humble Police Department, Ft. Bend County
Sheriff's Office, Missouri City Police Department and the
Spring Branch Independent School District Police Department.
The Houston Metro ICAC Taskforce is part of a national
network of 61 coordinated task forces representing over 4,500
federal, state and local law enforcement agencies dedicated
to investigating and prosecuting those who attempt to
sexually exploit children via the Internet.
During this multi-day operation, the Montgomery County
District Attorney's Office ICAC section, moderated by
Constable Ryan Gable and Montgomery County Constable's Office
Precinct 3 deputies, conducted a proactive chat operation in
southern Montgomery County. Task Force members also obtained
an arrest warrant for Thomas J. Manno of Clarion County,
Pennsylvania, and provided local authorities with essential
information to execute a search warrant on his home.
Task Force members contributed to the following arrests
during the operation:
Thomas J. Manno--39--Shippenville, Pennsylvania--Promotion
of Child Pornography (F2)
Robert Clarence Clayton--27--Channelview, Texas--Online Ad
by a Minor (F2)
Isaac Anthony Marino--30--Houston, Texas--Online
solicitation by a minor (F2)
Francisco Xavier Garza--29--Spring, Texas--Online
solicitation by a minor F2) // Possibly with intent to
supply--Methamphetamine (F1)
Elijah Charles Lewis--24--Houston, Texas--Online
Solicitation by a Minor (F2)
Ahsan Shah--36--Houston, Texas--Online solicitation by a
minor (F2)
Lawrence Clayton Hopkins--55--Baytown, Texas--Online
solicitation by a minor (F2)
Edward Stewart Geddes--42--Houston, Texas--Online
solicitation by a minor (F2) // Evidence tampering (F3)
Clinton Brian Harvey--44--Dickenson, Texas--Soliciting a
Minor Online (F3) // Unlawful Carrying of a Gun (MA)
The above accused are still under investigation and
additional charges may be brought at a later date. All
accused are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
During the investigation of Lawrence Clayton Hopkins,
officers learned that Hopkins may have worked as a youth
pastor in Midlothian, College Station and Baytown, Texas
prior to his arrest.
During the investigation of Clinton Brian Harvey, officers
learned that Harvey worked as an officer at the Montgomery
County Juvenile Detention Center.
As our children are more exposed to the internet than ever
before, the ICAC section of the Montgomery County District
Attorney's Office and the Houston Metro ICAC Task Force
encourage parents to be diligent in monitoring their
children's online activities and raise concerns with law
enforcement agencies and the National Center for to report
Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). Concerned parents and
guardians should contact local law enforcement in the event
of an emergency by dialing 911. Parents and guardians can
also contact NCMEC at 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678) or
through their website at CyberTipline.org for more
information and resources.
Lt. Michael Atkins, Montgomery County Constable's Office
Precinct 3, shared: ``The Internet provides criminals with an
often unsupervised avenue to exploit child sacrifice. As
parents, we need to carefully monitor our children's online
activities and talk to them about the dangers they may face
online.''
Shanna Redwine (MCDAO), Head of Special Victims Division,
stated: ``We know the internet can be a dangerous place for
children. The Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and
the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office are
committed to making it legally dangerous for adults who seek
to harm them. We ask parents and carers to support us in this
effort by closely monitoring children and speaking with them
about online risks, of which there are many.''
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I am looking forward to this
legislation passing. Again, I emphasize that anything to protect our
children is crucial.
Mr. Speaker, there are thousands of children exploited on the
internet each and every day. As the global online community continues
to grow, so do the very real dangers facing our Nation's children.
I do want to state that Ms. Wasserman Schultz has really developed
this legislation and worked very hard on it. We have applauded her work
starting in 2008. This will be a major, if you will, addition and asset
to fighting the scourge that goes against our innocent children.
So we have developed a vast and effective program that has continued
to evolve and improve our fight against online child exploitation.
Let's continue this program. We cannot allow this program to die. We
must pass the PROTECT Our Children Act to reauthorize these task forces
and to allow them to continue their brave and crucial work that keeps
our children safe.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms.
Wasserman Schultz) who has worked so hard on this legislation since
2008.
Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the
bill before the House today because at this very moment, thousands of
children are waiting to be saved.
The internet can be a dangerous neighborhood for anyone, but
especially vulnerable children. The ever-expanding reach of the
internet has
[[Page H8752]]
fueled an exploding multibillion-dollar market for child pornography.
Tragically, this market exploits the graphic images that result from
the horrific sexual assault of more children. The pandemic only
exacerbated the problem, as our world shifts more online.
But these are not just heinous online images, they are crime scene
photos created by a thriving industry that uses children as sexual
commodities.
Almost 15 years ago, I introduced the Providing Resources, Officers,
and Technology to Eradicate Cyber Threats to Our Children Act of 2007.
With the support of Mr. Jordan at a House Judiciary hearing on that
bill, we heard from a very brave young woman, Alicia Kozakiewicz. She
was abducted by an internet predator at just 13, held captive in his
dungeon basement, and sexually tortured for 4 days.
The FBI found Alicia because the Virginia Internet Crimes Against
Children Task Force, or ICAC, had the technology to lift the digital
fingerprints of this perpetrator's crimes.
They were able to discover the location where he held her captive,
chained to the floor, connected to a collar around her neck. Internet
crimes officers tracked the IP address back to his door, and literally
rescued her from death.
I remember her testimony like it was yesterday. It moved many of the
members of that committee, including myself, to tears.
In the 20 years since her abduction and torture, Alicia still shares
her personal nightmare to help protect other young people.
Over that next year, we learned a lot about these offenders: who they
are, how they operate, and most important, where they are. We saw
detailed law enforcement maps that showed the locations of hundreds of
thousands of sexual predators, 5 percent of whom had actual child
victims waiting to be rescued.
It was a truly harrowing environment they described.
And Congress acted.
With then-Senator Joe Biden as my Senate partner, we passed
legislation establishing the National Internet Crimes Against Children
Task Force Program, or ICAC, a specialized group of law enforcement
officials dedicated to the protection of children.
The task forces grew from 42 to 61, and arrests and child rescues
doubled. They doubled. Literally thousands more predators were
apprehended and children rescued. An untold number of sexual assaults
were prevented.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentlewoman has expired.
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 1 minute to the
gentlewoman from Florida.
Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Speaker, the PROTECT Our Children Act, the
bipartisan legislation that I introduced this week with Senator Cornyn,
and Representatives Chabot, Kuster, and Reschenthaler reauthorizes the
National Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Program, the
national network of coordinated law enforcement task forces
investigating and prosecuting those who sexually exploit our most
vulnerable constituents--our children.
According to estimates, half of the arrests made by ICAC teams led us
to the door of a hands-on offender, and thus, a child waiting to be
rescued.
We must make the protection of these children the focus of all of our
efforts. Please think about these precious children being victimized.
If you are a parent, God forbid, it was your own child.
Let's give these ICAC teams the resources they need to rescue as many
as possible.
An impressive and deeply troubling investigation by The New York
Times described the forces arrayed against these ICAC teams as an
``insatiable criminal underworld,'' and one in which tech companies are
not always able or totally willing to confront.
{time} 1600
But if we empower these ICACs with today's reauthorization, thousands
more innocent children will be protected from these unspeakable crimes.
We owe them that.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues for their indulgence.
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to support S. 4834,
PROTECT Our Children Act of 2022.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 4834, the ``PROTECT Our Children
Act of 2022,'' a critical piece of bipartisan legislation that would
reauthorize the Internet Crimes Against Children task force program, or
``ICAC,'' which has worked tirelessly for 14 years to protect our
children from online predators.
It is no exaggeration to say the internet is today one of the most
dangerous places for our nation's children, many of whom spend hours
each day online. Predators use social media and other online resources
to groom and entice children to commit sexual acts. The internet makes
it easy for sex and labor traffickers to gain clandestine access to
children and teens, recruit them into their organizations, and exploit
them.
The internet is also the primary vehicle for distributing child sex
abuse material and committing criminal acts of sextortion against
minors. It also provides an open forum for cyberbullying and online
harassment, which can lead victims of such conduct to withdraw, become
depressed, and even commit suicide.
To combat these monstrous crimes and protect our youth from
exploitation, ICAC task forces work with federal, state, and local law
enforcement to develop an effective, holistic response to cybercrimes
against children. Their programs include forensic and investigative
components, training and technical assistance, victim services, and
community education.
The ICAC network is made up of 61 separate task forces--three of
which are in my home state of Texas. These ICAC task forces were
created and authorized by the original PROTECT Our Children Act of
2008, which expired this past September, at the end of the fiscal year.
Yet online threats to children, and the need for ICAC's tasks forces,
are only growing. Between 2008 and 2021, the number of ICAC arrests
rose from 2,500 to more than 10,000 each year. ICAC's work resulted in
more than 137,000 investigations and 90,300 forensic exams in 2021
alone.
Earlier this year, the Southern Texas ICAC task force received
significant funding--its first--authorized by the PROTECT Our Children
Act, allowing it to provide substantial investigative, prosecutorial,
and victim-centered services, and to utilize tips from the national
ICAC database, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited
Children, to identify and rescue child victims.
But the work of the task force, and that of the other ICAC task
forces nationwide, will not be able to continue unless we fund this
critical law enforcement initiative. It is, therefore, essential that
we reauthorize the ICAC program by passing the bipartisan PROTECT Our
Children Act of 2022.
The Act would extend funding for ICAC task forces and programs
through 2024. Without this crucial legislation, our children will
remain vulnerable to those who seek to exploit and hurt them in the
most horrific of ways, with the ease and anonymity the internet
provides.
I commend my colleague, Representative Wasserman Shultz, for her work
on the PROTECT Our Children Act, and I urge my colleagues to support
it.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee) that the House suspend the
rules and pass the bill, S. 4834.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. MOORE of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and
nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.
____________________