Protect Our Children Act of 2008

PROTECT OUR CHILDREN ACT OF 2008 -- (House of Representatives - September 27, 2008)

Mr. CHABOT. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of 1738, the PROTECT Act, and in particular those provisions taken from the Securing Adolescents From Exploitation-Online Act of 2107, which passed the House last December. I would like to acknowledge the efforts of the author of the SAFE Act, the distinguished gentleman from Texas, Mr. LAMPSON.

He and I have worked closely on several bills to strengthen our child protection laws.

We don't have to look any farther than our homes and communities to see that predators are threatening and victimizing our children with one simple click. The Internet, while providing a world of opportunity to our children, has also contributed to a worldwide expansion of child pornography--enabling online predators to more easily abuse, exploit, and prey on our children.

S. 1738 recognizes that a comprehensive strategy, one that mobilizes the resources of the community as well as local, state, and federal law enforcement, is necessary to crack down on these criminals. Moreover, S. 1738 recognizes that by building on the investigative tools already in place under the leadership of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, law enforcement officials and the public can provide and receive valuable information needed for ongoing investigations.

I would like to thank my colleagues in both the House and Senate for recognizing that our laws and resources need to stay current with the advances made in technology. Predators know no boundaries and have used technology to their advantage. The PROTECT Act recognizes that a more comprehensive approach is needed to ensure that investigators and prosecutors have the tools to stay one click ahead of these criminals.

I urge my colleagues to support passage of S. 1738.

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