Conyers, House Democrats Announce Plans to Hold Hearings on Internet Sex Crimes

August 3, 2007 --- (Washington, DC)- Today, House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI) announced plans to hold hearings on sex crimes and the Internet. House Democratic Caucus Chairman Rahm Emanuel (D-IL) and Reps. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), Earl Pomeroy (D-ND), Nick Lampson (D-TX), and Christopher Carney (D-PA) joined him at a press conference to announce the hearings, to be held starting in September. His remarks are below:

I am pleased to announce that the House Committee on the Judiciary is going to be holding hearings in September on the use of the Internet to perpetrate or facilitate sex crimes.

These Internet sex crimes take various forms. They include:

* Sexual predators infiltrating social networking sites to arrange meetings with minors, at which the predators use brute force to commit sexual offenses – or worse;

* Sexual predators infiltrating “chat rooms” to arrange consensual sexual encounters with minors;

* Sexual predators purveying images of sexual exploitation – including forcible rape – and other child pornography over the Internet.

As you know, there is ongoing national attention to these issues. There is even a television show that depicts – for the nation to see – the efforts of on-line predators to reach out to have sexual contacts with minors.

We cannot allow the internet to be a playground where our children are one mouseclick away from sexual predators.

There have been several bills introduced that seek to strengthen federal tools of investigation and prosecution that are used to combat these crimes, and that are designed to toughen the federal laws that makes such crimes illegal.

Accordingly, I am looking forward to take an in-depth look at these various proposals. This is a top Democratic priority – but, to be fair, I know it represents an issue that concerns all Americans. I thank my colleagues who are here today to support these efforts. I have not decided on which approach, or which approaches, are likely to be the most beneficial. I will be asking for input and cooperation from all the stakeholders in this process, as well as my friends across the aisle, to make sure that the resulting legislation is truly effective in improving the ability of both federal and state law enforcement authorities to investigate and prosecute and punish those who commit these horrible crimes.

Source: House Judiciary Committee

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