[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 13 (Tuesday, January 20, 2026)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E57]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        SUPPORTING H.R. 6719, THE COMBATING ONLINE PREDATORS ACT

                                  _____
                                 

                            HON. LUCY McBATH

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, January 20, 2026

  Mrs. McBATH. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 6719, the 
Combating Online Predators Act.
  There are a number of teenagers and pre-teens who have lost their 
lives to suicide because of sextortion. We are fighting against 
criminal individuals and groups who seek out our children with no goal 
other than to cause turmoil. Sextortion is a dangerous and sick 
activity that has been increasingly used against children--so much so 
that the FBI has released warnings on the growing risk this poses to 
our kids, and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children 
(NCMEC) has reported a nearly 200 percent increase in attempts. As our 
social landscape continues to evolve, placing our most vulnerable 
population online more often, we must be prepared with the laws to 
deter and punish bad actors.
  These perpetrators have taken Al-generated images of their victims or 
convinced the teens to send nude images of themselves and used them as 
leverage for outrageous demands. Some perpetrators will demand 
thousands of dollars--a request that is near impossible for the vast 
majority of teens.
  Teenagers worry about so many things: what they are going to wear for 
homecoming, why their acne cannot seem to get under control, whether 
they should go to college or trade school. They should not be worried 
about someone catfishing them and using intimate images of them to 
either coerce money from them or push them to self-harm.
  From Michigan, to Kentucky, to Ohio, and Georgia, these schemes range 
across the country. These sextortion operations are expanding, and we 
must do what we can to help law enforcement and prosecutors bring these 
evils to justice.
  With this bill, we will provide prosecutors with additional tools to 
hold perpetrators accountable for schemes in which they seek to obtain 
explicit photos and videos of minors.
  Our teenagers are in need of protection regardless of their 
independence and maturity. I am proud to support this legislation to 
ensure our teenagers can spend this pivotal moment in their lives 
focusing on things that will positively shape them into adulthood. They 
should have the chance to enjoy their teenage years without threat or 
malice.
  I encourage my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 6719, the 
Combating Online Predators Act.

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