Missouri House passes bills targeting online child exploitation
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KY3) - The Missouri House has passed a series of bills aimed at protecting children from online extortion and sexual grooming.
House Bills 2273, 1814, 1946, and 2551 passed their third and final reading on the House floor by a vote of 148 to 2. The legislation now moves to the Missouri State Senate.
“It feels surreal, it really is moving fast,” said Madison Royer, whose sister Sophie was a victim of sexual grooming. “That there is something changing for the better. I think that people are getting fed up, recognizing the amount of sexual abuse that is happening.”
Evan’s Voice Act honors Aurora teen Evan Boettler, who died by suicide after being extorted online. Evie and Sophie’s Law is named after two Bolivar teens who were victims of sexual grooming by their taekwondo teacher.
The legislation would replace the term “child pornography” with “child sexual abuse material” and broaden its definition. The bills mandate new sex and human trafficking training for first responders, social workers, and law enforcement.
“We are learning more about sexual abuse, and the more we learn, the better we can address it,” Royer said. “That is what these bills really are doing, addressing these issues better with the new information that they have.”
The legislation creates the offense of sexually extorting a minor. Current law provides that nonconsensual dissemination of private sexual images is a class D felony. The bills would make the offense a class C felony when the image depicts a minor or vulnerable person.
“It was great yesterday to see Missouri lead on an issue that is important to so many,” said Rep. Betse Fogle, D-District 135. “The bill’s sponsor yesterday stated that at any time we have about 1,000 sex trafficking victims across the state.”
With bipartisan support, legislators hope this can serve as a model for other states.
“There are so many predators out there nationwide, worldwide,” said State Rep. Jamie Gragg, R-District 140. “This will be a model for other states that don’t already have this to protect them. There are so many people out there looking to prey on our kids.”
State Sen. Curtis Trent, the assistant majority floor leader, said the legislation has a good chance of passage in the Senate.
“Nothing ever goes through the Senate easily, but I do believe this will get a hearing and will get plenty of floor time,” State Senator Trent said. “When you see legislation move through either chamber with a high degree of bipartisanship, it is a good indication of a high-priority bill, and there is a good chance of passage.”
To read the bill that was sent to the Missouri Senate, you can find it by clicking here.
(In collaboration with former KY3 reporter Chris Bryant)
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