As the Internet solidifies and expands its ever-increasing role in today's economic and social spheres, Congress has a responsibility to address the growing epidemic of child pornography and online sex crimes.  Recent studies conducted by the Department of Justice have found that one in seven children between the ages of 10 and 17 received a sexual solicitation online.  Moreover, one in twenty-five (or one per classroom) received an aggressive sexual solicitation on the phone or through gifts sent by predators.  Safety concerns on this scale require a concerted, coordinated law enforcement initiative on the federal level to reduce the rising incidence of Internet sex crimes.
 
Enforcing a safe Internet atmosphere for children is an educational priority as well as a safety issue.  Children today must master basic Internet skills if they are to compete in the fast-paced, computer-based business climate of our globalized world.  How can America's children hope to master the Internet while simultaneously exposing themselves to the perverted machinations of online sexual predators?
 
Only when sex offenders and child pornographers cannot find a safe haven on the Internet will America truly begin to prepare its children for tomorrow's economic and educational opportunities.

It is with these intentions at heart that I and my colleagues in the 110th Congress have passed no less than six bills to fight crimes against children, to launch a new public awareness campaign to promote Internet safety, to toughen penalties against companies and individuals producing child pornography, and to increase the investigative capabilities of state and local law enforcement officers in the detection, investigation, and apprehension of child exploitation crimes.  These bills represent a strong commitment by both political parties to address this growing problem.     

In particular, the bills address two core inadequacies with previous efforts to fight child predators:  lack of resources and lack of training.  The "Protect our Children Act of 2007", for instance, will establish a National Internet Crimes Against Children Data Network Center for tracking sexual predators across the country.  In addition, the bill will provide training and technical assistance for law enforcement agencies to combat child exploitation crimes.
 
Rest assured, there is still much work to be done.  However, the bipartisanship demonstrated by these bills is an encouraging indicator of future cooperation and accomplishments on this national issue.

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