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WASHINGTON (TND) — Florida Rep. Anna Paulina Luna introduced three separate bills in the House on Thursday that would impose harsher penalties and federal minimums – including the death penalty – for criminals found guilty of certain sex crimes.
All three of the bills would amend Title 18 of the U.S. Code, which is the main criminal code of the U.S. government.
The Holding Child Predators Accountable Act would mandate the death penalty or life in prison for anyone convicted of producing, distributing or possessing child pornography.
The No Repeat Child Sex Offenders Act would impose the death penalty for anyone convicted of child trafficking, which includes a plethora of forms of sexual abuse including abuse of minors, sexual exploitation and coercion into prostitution.
The final bill called the Justice for Rape Survivors Act, would give at least 30 years – or life in prison – to felons convicted of rape and sexual abuse of adults.
The Fact Check Team spoke to the Congresswoman’s office and they said the bill already has Republican co-sponsors, but it is not yet known if there will be Democrat support.
It is also important to note that in 2008, the Supreme Court ruled that imposing the death penalty for the rape of a child that did not result in death is unconstitutional, so the proposals could run into some constitutional hurdles.
Fact Check Team: New legislation aims to enact harsher penalties for sex crimes, abuse (TND)
There are also several pieces of legislation – both proposed and passed – on the state level.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed five bills into law Wednesday that aim to protect children by enhancing and creating additional criminal punishments for abusers.
For example, HB 1545 makes harmful communication to a minor a criminal offense and strengthens punishments associated with child exploitation to prevent grooming. HB 1235 establishes stricter guidelines for the sex offender registry, like preventing sex offenders from using temporary addresses.
Meanwhile, there’s a proposal in California – the Preventing AI-Enabled Child Exploitation Act – that would crack down on AI-generated child pornography because even though state and federal laws already criminalize most explicit content involving kids, there is a loophole for generated content.
There are two bills making their way through Idaho’s state legislature. The first is similar to the federal proposals, as it would allow the death penalty for child sexual abusers who committed crimes against a minor under the age of 12. The other bill would make AI-generated child pornography a felony punishable by up to five years in prison or a fine of up to $5,000.
According to the CDC, about 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 20 boys experience child sexual abuse, 91% of the time by someone known and trusted.
If you or a loved one are a victim of sexual abuse, there are resources to help.
