WASHINGTON –U.S. Senators John Cornyn (R-TX), along with Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Dean Heller (R-NV) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) today introduced the PROTECT Our Children Act to reauthorize the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force Program, a national network of 61 coordinated task forces that combat child exploitation across the country.

“As more and more children have access to the internet at a younger age, it’s critical that our law enforcement agencies have the support and tools they need to protect our children from predators,” Sen. Cornyn said. “By empowering law enforcement to communicate and coordinate across all levels, we can help make the internet a safer place for our children and guard against future threats. This bill builds on my work as Texas Attorney General, and I’m proud to partner with this bipartisan group to continue this effort at the national level.”

Background:

The PROTECT Our Children Act, originally passed in 2008, authorized the ICAC Task Force Program, a coordinated group of task forces representing 3,500 federal, state, and local law enforcement and prosecutorial agencies engaged in reactive and proactive investigations across the country. The ICAC aids local and state law enforcement in the creation and implementation of effective responses to technology-facilitated child sexual exploitation and Internet crimes against children. In order to develop effective response strategies to online child victimization, the ICAC offers guidance on victim support, forensic and investigative components, training and technical assistance, and prevention and community education.

This legislation builds on an earlier effort by Senator Cornyn when he was Texas Attorney General. He launched the Texas Internet Bureau in 2000, which focused on fighting online child pornography and other cybercrimes, serving as a resource for local law enforcement in Internet-related investigations, as well as local district and United State attorneys in Texas. The Texas Internet Bureau was an early member of the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Program, and is now known as the Cyber Crimes Unit.

Organizations who support the PROTECT Our Children Act include the National Association to Protect Children (PROTECT), National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network), National Children’s Alliance, Rights4Girls, Shared Hope, Fraternal Order of Police National Association of Police Organizations, Sergeants Benevolent Association, Major County Sheriffs of America, Association of State Criminal Investigative Agencies, National Sheriffs Association, Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, National District Attorneys Association, National Criminal Justice Association, Major City Chiefs Police Association

For a list of current ICAC task forces across the United States, click here. To read text of the legislation, click here.

Senator John Cornyn, a Republican from Texas, is a member of the Senate Finance, Intelligence, and Judiciary Committees.