II 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 724 

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

purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MARCH 8, 2023 

Mr. GRASSLEY (for himself, Mr. OSSOFF, Mr. YOUNG, and Mr. WARNOCK) introduced the following bill; which was read twice, considered, read the 

third time, and passed 

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 2023’’. 

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) Federal law does not require that an abus15 er’s intention to engage in sexual abuse be a pri16 mary, significant, dominant, or motivating purpose 

17 of the travel. 

18 (10) Child sexual abuse does not require phys19 ical contact between the abuser and the child. This 

20 is especially true as perpetrators turn increasingly to 

21 internet platforms, online chat rooms, and webcams 

22 to commit child sexual abuse. 

23 (11) However, a decision of the United States 

24 Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit found the 

25 use of a webcam to engage in sexually provocative 


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1 activity with a minor did not qualify as ‘‘sexual ac2 tivity’’. 

3 (12) Congress can address this issue by amend4 ing the definition of the term ‘‘sexual activity’’ to 

5 clarify that it does not require interpersonal, phys6 ical contact. 

7 (13) It is the duty of Congress to provide clear8 er guidance to ensure that those who commit crimes 

9 against children are prosecuted to the fullest extent 

10 of the law. 

11 SEC. 3. INTERSTATE CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE. 

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

13 amended— 

14 (1) in subsection (b), by striking ‘‘with a moti15 vating purpose of engaging in any illicit sexual con16 duct with another person’’ and inserting ‘‘with in17 tent to engage in any illicit sexual conduct with an18 other person’’; 

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

20 and (g) as subsections (e), (f), (g), and (i), respec21 tively; 

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

23 striking ‘‘with a motivating purpose of engaging in 

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

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


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1 (4) by inserting after subsection (g), as so re2 designated, the following: 

3 ‘‘(h) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—As used in this sec4 tion, the term ‘intent’ shall be construed as any intention 

5 to engage in illicit sexual conduct at the time of the trav6 el.’’. 

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

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

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

10 (1) by inserting after subsection (c) the fol11 lowing: 

12 ‘‘(d) ILLICIT SEXUAL CONDUCT IN CONNECTION

13 WITH CERTAIN ORGANIZATIONS.—Any citizen of the 

14 United States or alien admitted for permanent residence 

15 who— 

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

17 of an organization that affects interstate or foreign 

18 commerce; 

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

20 instrumentality of interstate or foreign commerce 

21 through the connection or affiliation of the person 

22 with such organization; and 

23 ‘‘(3) commits an act in furtherance of illicit sex24 ual conduct through the connection or affiliation of 

25 the person with such organization, 


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

2 than 30 years, or both.’’; 

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

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

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

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

7 SEC. 5. SEXUAL ACTIVITY WITH MINORS. 

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

9 amended by inserting ‘‘does not require interpersonal 

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

Æ 


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