Fedorchak votes to protect kids online, hold online predators accountable

Washington, D.C. - Congresswoman Julie Fedorchak (R-ND) supported three bipartisan bills to strengthen federal child exploitation laws, close dangerous legal gaps, and give law enforcement tools to protect children. The bills address growing threats facing minors online, including sextortion, online coercion, and the use of emerging technologies to create exploitative material.

"As a mom of three, I know how hard it is to keep children safe in our rapidly changing digital world," Fedorchak said. "Unfortunately, online predators are adapting just as fast as the technology our kids use every day. Our laws must keep pace with these evolving threats, which is why I supported bipartisan legislation to give prosecutors clarity, strengthen enforcement, and reflect the reality of how predators operate today."

The bills passed include:

• H.R. 6719, the Combating Online Predators Act, which criminalizes threats to distribute sexually explicit images of minors when used to coerce children into producing additional exploitative material. The bill closes a gap that predators have exploited through online sextortion schemes.

• H.R. 6732, the Coercion and Sexual Abuse Free Environment Act, which explicitly prohibits the coercion of minors into self-harm, abuse, or sexual exploitation through threats, blackmail, manipulation, or psychological pressure, particularly in online and interstate communications.

• H.R. 6715, the Child Predators Accountability Act, which updates federal child exploitation law so offenders can be prosecuted when minors are intentionally depicted in sexually explicit material, even if the child did not directly participate. This legislation addresses risks posed by manipulated imagery and new technologies, including AI.

ICYMI: Fedorchak cosponsored theTAKE IT DOWN Act, signed into law by President Trump last year.

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