I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2735 
To amend title 18, United States Code, to modify provisions relating to 
kidnapping, sexual abuse, and illicit sexual conduct with respect to minors. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 8, 2025 
Mr. NEHLS (for himself, Ms. DEAN of Pennsylvania, Mr. DAVIS of North 
Carolina, Mr. MOORE of Alabama, and Mr. TIFFANY) introduced the fol-
lowing bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 
A BILL 
To amend title 18, United States Code, to modify provisions 
relating to kidnapping, sexual abuse, and illicit sexual 
conduct with respect to minors. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Strengthening Child 
Exploitation Enforcement Act’’. 
SEC. 2. KIDNAPPING; SEXUAL ABUSE; ILLICIT SEXUAL CON-
DUCT WITH RESPECT TO MINORS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Part I of title 18, United States 
Code, is amended— 
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(1) in section 1201— 
(A) in subsection (a), in the matter pre-
ceding paragraph (1), by inserting ‘‘obtains by 
defrauding or deceiving any person,’’ after ‘‘ab-
ducts,’’; 
(B) in subsection (b), by inserting ‘‘ob-
tained by defrauding or deceiving any person,’’ 
after ‘‘abducted,’’; and 
(C) in subsection (g), by adding at the end 
the following: 
‘‘(2) DEFENSE.—For an offense described in 
this subsection involving a victim who has not at-
tained the age of 16 years, it is not a defense that 
the victim consented to the conduct of the offender, 
unless the offender can establish by a preponderance 
of the evidence that the offender reasonably believed 
that the victim had attained the age of 16 years.’’; 
(2) in chapter 109A— 
(A) in section 2241(c), by striking ‘‘crosses 
a State line’’ and inserting ‘‘travels in inter-
state or foreign commerce’’; 
(B) in section 2242(3), by striking ‘‘, to 
include doing so’’ and inserting ‘‘or’’; 
(C) in section 2243, by adding at the end 
the following: 
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‘‘(f) INTENTIONAL TOUCHING INVOLVING INDIVID-
UALS UNDER THE AGE OF 16.— 
‘‘(1) OFFENSE.—It shall be unlawful, in the 
special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the 
United States or in a Federal prison, or in any pris-
on, institution, or facility in which persons are held 
in custody by direction of or pursuant to a contract 
or agreement with the head of any Federal depart-
ment or agency, to knowingly cause the intentional 
touching, not through the clothing, of the genitalia 
of any person by a person who has not attained the 
age of 16 years, with an intent to abuse, humiliate, 
harass, degrade, or arouse or gratify the sexual de-
sire of any person, or attempt to do so, if to do so 
would violate subsection (a), (b), or (c) of this sec-
tion, section 2241, or section 2242 had such inten-
tional touching been a sexual act. 
‘‘(2) PENALTY.—Any person who violates para-
graph (1) shall be fined under this title, imprisoned 
as provided in the applicable provision of law de-
scribed in that paragraph, or both.’’; and 
(D) in section 2244— 
(i) in subsection (a)— 
(I) by redesignating paragraphs 
(1) through (6) as subparagraphs (A) 
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through (F), respectively, and adjust-
ing the margins accordingly; 
(II) by striking ‘‘Whoever’’ and 
inserting the following: 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Whoever’’; 
(III) in paragraph (1), as so des-
ignated— 
(aa) in the matter preceding 
subparagraph (A), as so redesig-
nated, by striking ‘‘if so to do’’ 
and inserting ‘‘if to do so’’; 
(bb) in subparagraph (A), as 
so 
redesignated, 
by 
striking 
‘‘ten’’ and inserting ‘‘10’’; 
(cc) in subparagraph (B), as 
so 
redesignated, 
by 
striking 
‘‘three’’ and inserting ‘‘3’’; 
(dd) in subparagraph (C), as 
so 
redesignated, 
by 
striking 
‘‘two’’ and inserting ‘‘2’’; 
(ee) in subparagraph (D), as 
so 
redesignated, 
by 
striking 
‘‘two’’ and inserting ‘‘2’’; and 
(ff) in subparagraph (F), as 
so redesignated, by striking the 
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semicolon at the end and insert-
ing a period; and 
(IV) by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(2) ATTEMPT.—Whoever attempts to commit 
an offense under paragraph (1) shall be subject to 
the same penalty as for a completed offense.’’; 
(ii) in subsection (b)— 
(I) by inserting ‘‘or causes’’ after 
‘‘engages in’’; 
(II) by inserting ‘‘or by’’ after 
‘‘sexual contact with’’; 
(III) by inserting ‘‘, or attempts 
to do so,’’ after ‘‘other person’s per-
mission’’; and 
(IV) by striking ‘‘two’’ and in-
serting ‘‘2’’; and 
(iii) in subsection (c), by striking ‘‘If 
the sexual contact that violates this section 
(other than subsection (a)(5)) is with an 
individual’’ and inserting ‘‘If the sexual 
contact or attempted sexual contact that a 
person engages in or causes in violation of 
this 
section 
(other 
than 
subsection 
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(a)(1)(E)) is with or by an individual’’; 
and 
(3) in section 2423(f)(1)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘a sexual act (as defined in 
section 2246) with’’ and inserting ‘‘any conduct 
involving’’; and 
(B) by striking ‘‘sexual act occurred’’ and 
inserting ‘‘conduct occurred’’. 
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment to section 
2241(c) of title 18, United States Code, made by sub-
section (a) shall apply to conduct that occurred before, on, 
or after the date of enactment of this Act. 
SEC. 3. CONFORMING AMENDMENTS RELATING TO ABU-
SIVE SEXUAL CONTACT. 
(a) PENALTIES FOR CIVIL RIGHTS OFFENSES IN-
VOLVING SEXUAL MISCONDUCT.—Section 250(b) of title 
18, United States Code, is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘section 
2244(a)(5),’’ and inserting ‘‘section 2244(a)(1)(E), 
or an attempt to engage in or cause such contact as 
prohibited by section 2244(a)(2),’’; 
(2) in paragraph (4), in the matter preceding 
subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘subsection (a)(1) or 
(b) of section 2244, but excluding abusive sexual 
contact through the clothing’’ and inserting ‘‘section 
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2244(a)(1)(A), an attempt to engage in or cause 
such contact as prohibited by section 2244(a)(2), or 
abusive sexual contact of the type prohibited by sec-
tion 2244(b), but excluding abusive sexual contact 
through the clothing or an attempt to engage in or 
cause such contact’’; 
(3) in paragraph (5), in the matter preceding 
subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘section 2244(a)(2)’’ 
and inserting ‘‘section 2244(a)(1)(B) or an attempt 
to engage in or cause such contact as prohibited by 
section 2244(a)(2)’’; and 
(4) in paragraph (6), in the matter preceding 
subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘subsection (a)(3), 
(a)(4), or (b) of section 2244’’ and inserting ‘‘sub-
paragraph (C) or (D) of section 2244(a)(1), an at-
tempt to engage in or cause such contact as prohib-
ited by section 2244(a)(2), or abusive sexual contact 
of the type prohibited by section 2244(b)’’. 
(b) SENTENCING CLASSIFICATION OF OFFENSES.— 
Section 3559 of title 18, United States Code, is amend-
ed— 
(1) in subsection (c)(2)(F)(i), by striking ‘‘sec-
tions 2244(a)(1) and (a)(2)’’ and inserting ‘‘sub-
paragraphs (A) and (B) of section 2244(a)(1)’’; and 
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