Sen. Ossoff Championing Bipartisan Legislation to Prosecute Child Predators Online

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff is championing bipartisan legislation to prosecute child predators online.

Sen. Ossoff is working with Republicans and Democrats to pass the Ending Coercion of Children and Harm Online (ECCHO) Act to crack down on criminals preying on kids online.

According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), there has been a nationwide increase in online criminal networks trying to coerce vulnerable children into engaging in abusive and harmful behavior.

Despite this increase, however, there is no clear law that addresses online coercion of a minor to harm themselves or others, making it difficult to hold these criminals accountable.

The bipartisan bill, first introduced by Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Dick Durbin (D-IL), would make it a crime to coerce a minor online to commit violent acts against themselves or others. It would also require these crimes to be reported to NCMEC's CyberTipline.

"Nothing matters more than the safety and wellbeing of children, and we must protect every child in Georgia from exploitation and abuse," Sen. Ossoff said. "That is why I am working to pass this bipartisan legislation to make sure that law enforcement can prosecute criminals targeting children."

Sen. Ossoff continues working to protect children from coercion and abuse.

In February, Sen. Ossoff brought Republicans and Democrats together to deliver updated technology for SafePath Children's Advocacy Center, Inc. to strengthen support for child victims of abuse, trafficking, and maltreatment.

In December, the U.S. Senate passed Sens. Ossoff and Chuck Grassley (R-IA)'s bipartisan Preventing Child Trafficking Act of 2025 to strengthen coordination between the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to prevent child trafficking and protect kids.

Also in December, Sen. Ossoff cosponsored the bipartisan Runaway and Homeless Youth and Trafficking Prevention Actto better support victims of human trafficking. The bipartisan bill would provide more funding to the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (RHYA) grant program that supports local centers that support runaway and homeless youth and their families.

Last November, the Senate passed the bipartisan Strengthening Child Exploitation Enforcement Act, co-sponsored by Sen. Ossoff, to close loopholes that make kidnapping, sexual abuse, and child exploitation harder to prosecute.

In 2024, Sen. Ossoff's bipartisan REPORT Act with Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) became law, which - for the first time - requires websites and social media platforms to report crimes involving Federal trafficking and enticement of children to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).

Click here to read the ECCHO Act.

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