II 

117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 4719 

To protect children against sexual abuse and exploitation, and for other 

purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

AUGUST 2, 2022 

Mr. GRASSLEY (for himself and Mr. OSSOFF) introduced the following bill; 

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 

A BILL 

To protect children against sexual abuse and exploitation, 

and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Preventing Child Sex 

5 Abuse Act of 2022’’. 

6 SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 

7 The sense of Congress is the following: 

8 (1) The safety of children should be a top pri9 ority for public officials and communities in the 

10 United States. 


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1 (2) According to the Rape, Abuse & Incest Na2 tional Network, an individual in the United States is 

3 sexually assaulted every 68 seconds. And every 9 

4 minutes, that victim is a child. Meanwhile, only 25 

5 out of every 1,000 perpetrators will end up in pris6 on. 

7 (3) The effects of child sexual abuse can be 

8 long-lasting and affect the victim’s mental health. 

9 (4) Victims are more likely than non-victims to 

10 experience the following mental health challenges: 

11 (A) Victims are about 4 times more likely 

12 to develop symptoms of drug abuse. 

13 (B) Victims are about 4 times more likely 

14 to experience post-traumatic stress disorder as 

15 adults. 

16 (C) Victims are about 3 times more likely 

17 to experience a major depressive episode as 

18 adults. 

19 (5) The criminal justice system should and has 

20 acted as an important line of defense to protect chil21 dren and hold perpetrators accountable. 

22 (6) However, the horrific crimes perpetuated by 

23 Larry Nassar demonstrate firsthand the loopholes 

24 that still exist in the criminal justice system. While 

25 Larry Nassar was found guilty of several State-level 


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1 offenses, he was not charged federally for his illicit 

2 sexual contact with minors, despite crossing State 

3 and international borders to commit this conduct. 

4 (7) The Department of Justice has also identi5 fied a growing trend of Americans who use chari6 table or missionary work in a foreign country as a 

7 cover for sexual abuse of children. 

8 (8) It is the intent of Congress to prohibit 

9 Americans from engaging in sexual abuse or exploi10 tation of minors under the guise of work, including 

11 volunteer work, with an organization that affects 

12 interstate or foreign commerce, such as an inter13 national charity. 

14 (9) Child sexual abuse does not require physical 

15 contact between the abuser and the child. This is es16 pecially true as perpetrators turn increasingly to 

17 internet platforms, online chat rooms, and webcams 

18 to commit child sexual abuse. 

19 (10) However, a decision of the United States 

20 Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit found the 

21 use of a webcam to engage in sexually provocative 

22 activity with a minor did not qualify as ‘‘sexual ac23 tivity’’. 

24 (11) Congress can address this issue by amend25 ing the definition of the term ‘‘sexual activity’’ to 


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1 clarify that it does not require interpersonal, phys2 ical contact. 

3 (12) It is the duty of Congress to provide clear4 er guidance to ensure that those who commit crimes 

5 against children are prosecuted to the fullest extent 

6 of the law. 

7 SEC. 3. INTERSTATE CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE. 

8 Section 2423 of title 18, United States Code, is 

9 amended— 

10 (1) in subsection (b), by striking ‘‘with a moti11 vating purpose of engaging in any illicit sexual con12 duct with another person’’ and inserting ‘‘with in13 tent to engage in any illicit sexual conduct with an14 other person’’; 

15 (2) by redesignating subsections (d), (e), (f), 

16 and (g) as subsections (e), (f), (g), and (i), respec17 tively; 

18 (3) in subsection (e), as so redesignated, by 

19 striking ‘‘with a motivating purpose of engaging in 

20 any illicit sexual conduct’’ and inserting ‘‘with intent 

21 to engage in any illicit sexual conduct’’; and 

22 (4) by inserting after subsection (g), as so re23 designated, the following: 

24 ‘‘(h) DEFINITION OF INTENT.—As used in sub25 sections (b) and (e), the term ‘intent’ means that an indiVerDate Sep 11 2014 02:21 Aug 06, 2022 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S4719.IS S4719

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1 vidual has the intention to engage in illicit sexual conduct 

2 at the time of the travel. This intention need not be a 

3 primary, significant, dominant, or motivating purpose of 

4 the travel.’’. 

5 SEC. 4. ABUSE UNDER THE GUISE OF CHARITY. 

6 Section 2423 of title 18, United States Code, as 

7 amended by section 3 of this Act, is amended— 

8 (1) by inserting after subsection (c) the fol9 lowing: 

10 ‘‘(d) ILLICIT SEXUAL CONDUCT IN CONNECTION

11 WITH CERTAIN ORGANIZATIONS.—Any citizen of the 

12 United States or alien admitted for permanent residence 

13 who— 

14 ‘‘(1) is an officer, director, employee, or agent 

15 of an organization that affects interstate or foreign 

16 commerce; 

17 ‘‘(2) makes use of the mails or any means or 

18 instrumentality of interstate or foreign commerce 

19 through the connection or affiliation of the person 

20 with such organization; and 

21 ‘‘(3) commits an act in furtherance of illicit sex22 ual conduct through the connection or affiliation of 

23 the person with such organization, 

24 shall be fined under this title, imprisoned for not more 

25 than 30 years, or both.’’; 


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1 (2) in subsection (f), as so redesignated, by 

2 striking ‘‘or (d)’’ and inserting ‘‘(d), or (e)’’; and 

3 (3) in subsection (i), as so redesignated, by 

4 striking ‘‘(f)(2)’’ and inserting ‘‘(g)(2)’’. 

5 SEC. 5. SEXUAL ACTIVITY WITH MINORS. 

6 Section 2427 of title 18, United States Code, is 

7 amended by inserting ‘‘does not require interpersonal 

8 physical contact, and’’ before ‘‘includes’’. 

Æ 


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