By MICHAEL CRIMMINS
Glasgow News 1
The criminalization of sexual extortion is one step closer to becoming a reality with committee approval of the Take It Down Act.
Shannon Heacock said she is grateful for the committee’s support and that the bill “honors Elijah’s life.” Her 16-year-old son committed suicide after being sexually extorted. He was a student at Caverna High School.
“We are grateful for the support of Chairman Guthrie and the House Committee on Energy and Commerce for passing the Take It Down Act…to ensure that no parent, sibling, or loved one experiences a similar tragedy in the future,” Cronister-Heacock said. “This bill honors Elijah’s life, and we are appreciative of Congress’ actions to protect children online and save lives.”
This bill is filed in the House of Representatives and was given to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce of which Kentucky Representative Brett Guthrie is chairman, according to the congressional website. There is an identical Take It Down bill that has passed the Senate unanimously.
In the wake of its passage by a 49 to 1 committee vote, Guthrie said he looked forward to voting in favor of the bill again in the full House.
“No man, woman, or child should be subjected to the spread of explicit AI images meant to target and harass innocent victims. I am so thankful for our outstanding advocates and legislators who have worked hard to raise awareness and build a strong coalition to support this bipartisan bill,” Guthrie said in a press release. “The Committee on Energy and Commerce advanced the bill to the full House of Representatives, where I look forward to, once again, voting in favor of the Take It Down Act, so that we can send it to the President’s desk for signature.”
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