118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 724 

AN ACT 

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, 
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†S 724 ES

1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

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

3 Abuse Act of 2023’’. 

4 SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 

5 The sense of Congress is the following: 

6 (1) The safety of children should be a top pri7 ority for public officials and communities in the 

8 United States. 

9 (2) According to the Rape, Abuse & Incest Na10 tional Network, an individual in the United States is 

11 sexually assaulted every 68 seconds. And every 9 

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

13 out of every 1,000 perpetrators will end up in pris14 on. 

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

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

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

18 experience the following mental health challenges: 

19 (A) Victims are about 4 times more likely 

20 to develop symptoms of drug abuse. 

21 (B) Victims are about 4 times more likely 

22 to experience post-traumatic stress disorder as 

23 adults. 

24 (C) Victims are about 3 times more likely 

25 to experience a major depressive episode as 

26 adults. 
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1 (5) The criminal justice system should and has 

2 acted as an important line of defense to protect chil3 dren and hold perpetrators accountable. 

4 (6) However, the horrific crimes perpetuated by 

5 Larry Nassar demonstrate firsthand the loopholes 

6 that still exist in the criminal justice system. While 

7 Larry Nassar was found guilty of several State-level 

8 offenses, he was not charged federally for his illicit 

9 sexual contact with minors, despite crossing State 

10 and international borders to commit this conduct. 

11 (7) The Department of Justice has also identi12 fied a growing trend of Americans who use chari13 table or missionary work in a foreign country as a 

14 cover for sexual abuse of children. 

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

16 Americans from engaging in sexual abuse or exploi17 tation of minors under the guise of work, including 

18 volunteer work, with an organization that affects 

19 interstate or foreign commerce, such as an inter20 national charity. 

21 (9) Federal law does not require that an abus22 er’s intention to engage in sexual abuse be a pri23 mary, significant, dominant, or motivating purpose 

24 of the travel. 
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1 (10) Child sexual abuse does not require phys2 ical contact between the abuser and the child. This 

3 is especially true as perpetrators turn increasingly to 

4 internet platforms, online chat rooms, and webcams 

5 to commit child sexual abuse. 

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

7 Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit found the 

8 use of a webcam to engage in sexually provocative 

9 activity with a minor did not qualify as ‘‘sexual ac10 tivity’’. 

11 (12) Congress can address this issue by amend12 ing the definition of the term ‘‘sexual activity’’ to 

13 clarify that it does not require interpersonal, phys14 ical contact. 

15 (13) It is the duty of Congress to provide clear16 er guidance to ensure that those who commit crimes 

17 against children are prosecuted to the fullest extent 

18 of the law. 

19 SEC. 3. INTERSTATE CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE. 

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

21 amended— 

22 (1) in subsection (b), by striking ‘‘with a moti23 vating purpose of engaging in any illicit sexual con24 duct with another person’’ and inserting ‘‘with in-
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1 tent to engage in any illicit sexual conduct with an2 other person’’; 

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

4 and (g) as subsections (e), (f), (g), and (i), respec5 tively; 

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

7 striking ‘‘with a motivating purpose of engaging in 

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

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

10 (4) by inserting after subsection (g), as so re11 designated, the following: 

12 ‘‘(h) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—As used in this sec13 tion, the term ‘intent’ shall be construed as any intention 

14 to engage in illicit sexual conduct at the time of the trav15 el.’’. 

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

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

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

19 (1) by inserting after subsection (c) the fol20 lowing: 

21 ‘‘(d) ILLICIT SEXUAL CONDUCT IN CONNECTION

22 WITH CERTAIN ORGANIZATIONS.—Any citizen of the 

23 United States or alien admitted for permanent residence 

24 who— 
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1 ‘‘(1) is an officer, director, employee, or agent 

2 of an organization that affects interstate or foreign 

3 commerce; 

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

5 instrumentality of interstate or foreign commerce 

6 through the connection or affiliation of the person 

7 with such organization; and 

8 ‘‘(3) commits an act in furtherance of illicit sex9 ual conduct through the connection or affiliation of 

10 the person with such organization, 

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

12 than 30 years, or both.’’; 

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

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

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

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

17 SEC. 5. SEXUAL ACTIVITY WITH MINORS. 

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

19 amended by inserting ‘‘does not require interpersonal 

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

Passed the Senate March 8, 2023. 

Attest: 

Secretary. 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 724 

AN ACT 

To protect children against sexual abuse and 

exploitation, and for other purposes.