Strengthening Child Exploitation Enforcement Act

This bill updates federal criminal laws to better protect children from kidnapping and sexual abuse. It says a child’s “consent” cannot be used as a defense in certain kidnapping cases when the victim is under 16, unless the accused can show they reasonably believed the child was at least 16. It also changes the law so that “travels in interstate or foreign commerce” counts for certain serious sex crimes, not just “crosses a State line”; that change applies to conduct before, on, or after the law takes effect.

It creates a new federal crime for causing a child under 16 to intentionally touch someone’s genitals in certain federal settings (such as federal prisons), and it makes attempts to commit abusive sexual contact punishable the same as a completed act. It also broadens wording in a travel-related child exploitation law from “sexual act” to “any conduct,” and updates related sections so penalties and cross-references match these changes.

• Who is affected: Children under 16; people accused of kidnapping or sexual abuse involving minors; cases in federal settings such as federal prisons.
• What changes: “Consent” is not a defense in certain kidnapping cases with victims under 16; attempts to commit abusive sexual contact are punished the same as completed acts; the law covers anyone who travels in interstate or foreign commerce for certain sex crimes; language is broadened from “sexual act” to “any conduct.”
• When: The interstate/foreign travel update applies to conduct that happened before, on, or after the law takes effect.