Dear Senator Kennedy,
I am writing on behalf of the members of the Fraternal Order of Police to advise you of our support for S. 1401, the “Targeting Child Predators Act.”
Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) is a critical issue in this country. In 2023 alone, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received over 36 million reports of online child exploitation, nearly all of which involved potential CSAM. Law enforcement regularly investigates these reports, which often involves issuing subpoenas to internet service providers and messaging services. However, in some cases, the targets of subpoenas are notified by these companies, giving them the opportunity to obstruct these cases by deleting evidence. Currently, law enforcement can request a court order to delay such notifications for 90 days, but this timeframe has proven insufficient.
Your legislation would extend this period from 90 to 180 days, ensuring that law enforcement has the necessary time to conduct thorough investigations and build strong cases against offenders. This change would ultimately help remove predators from our neighborhoods and make our internet communities safer for children and families.
On behalf of the more than 377,000 members of the Fraternal Order of Police, thank you for your leadership on this issue. If I can provide any additional information or support for this effort, please do not hesitate to contact me or Executive Director Jim Pasco in our Washington, D.C. office.
Sincerely,
Patrick Yoes
National President