Rep. Loebsack Backs New Bills to Crack Down on Online Predators, Make the Internet Safer for Children

Press Release

REP. LOEBSACK BACKS NEW BILLS TO CRACK DOWN ON ONLINE PREDATORS, MAKE THE INTERNET SAFER FOR CHILDREN

Washington, D.C., Nov 16 -

This week, Congressman Dave Loebsack joined an overwhelming bipartisan majority in the House of Representatives to back legislation that will crack down on online predators, stop the spread of child pornography and help make the Internet safer for children.

"The Internet is a tremendous resource, but we must take care to protect our children from those who would do them harm," said Congressman Loebsack. "I was proud to back legislation that will protect our kids and help make the information superhighway a safer place for Iowa's children."

This week, the House passed a series of bills designed that improve Internet safety. The bills include:

* H.R. 3845 - PROTECT Our Children Act of 2007
* H.R. 719 - Keeping the Internet Devoid of Sexual Predators Act of 2007
* H.R. 4120 - Effective Child Pornography Prosecution Act
* H.R. 4134 - Internet Crime Prevention Education Program Act, authored by Rep. Linda Sanchez
* H.R. 4139 - Enhancing the Effective Prosecution of Child Pornography Act of 2007, authored by Rep. Chris Carney
* H.R. 3461 - SAFERNET (Safeguarding America's Families by Enhancing and Reorganizing New and Efficient Technologies Act of 2007), authored by Rep. Melissa Bean

The bills increase resources to fight Internet crimes against children, authorize a new public awareness campaign to promote Internet safety and provide tough new penalties against those people and companies who produce, view and allow others to purchase child pornography. The legislation also cracks down on sex offenders by allowing judges to require convicted sex offenders to use internet tracking and filtering software that limits offenders' access to certain material online.

The sexual victimization of children, including child pornography offenses, is a widespread problem in the United States. According to "Online Victimization of Youth: Five Years Later," a Department of Justice study, one in seven child Internet users has received sexual solicitations, one in three has been exposed to unwanted sexual material and one in 11 has been harassed. Also according to the study one in three child Internet users had communicated with someone that they did not know in person and one in nine formed close relationships with someone they met online.

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