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The Combating Online Predators Act would establish new federal criminal offenses targeting a practice known as sextortion. Under this bill, it would be illegal to threaten to distribute sexually explicit images or videos of a minor (or someone believed to be a minor) with the intent to force that minor to create or send their own sexually explicit material. The bill would also criminalize attempts and conspiracies to commit these offenses.
Sextortion is a form of online exploitation where predators use threats and coercion to sexually abuse children remotely. By making this practice a specific federal crime, the bill aims to give law enforcement stronger tools to investigate and prosecute offenders who target minors online. The legislation would apply whether the explicit images actually exist or are merely threatened as a means of coercion.
The bill passed the House and is currently being considered by the Senate. If enacted, it would create criminal penalties for perpetrators of sextortion, potentially including fines and imprisonment. For families and young people, this legislation would represent an additional legal protection against a growing form of online child exploitation, though it would not directly prevent the crime—rather, it would establish federal consequences for those who attempt it.
The Senate Judiciary Committee reported the bill with amendments on March 2, 2026, and it now awaits floor consideration in that chamber.
AI-generated summary
Congress
119th Congress
Introduced
Dec 15, 2025
Committee on the Judiciary. Reported by Senator Grassley with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.
Mar 2, 2026
Committee on the Judiciary. Reported by Senator Grassley with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.
Mar 2, 2026
