Rep. Cook
Votes for -
Both BILL HR 1973 and BILL HR 1761
Protecting Young Victims from SEXUAL
ABUSE ACT
Combat CHILD ABUSE & EXPLOITATION
Washington D.C.____ U.S. Congress Representative Paul Cook (R-Apple Valley)
Thursday May 25th, voted for two important Bills to combat child
abuse and exploitation. The first was HR 1973, the Protecting Young Victims
from Sexual Abuse Act. The second was HR 1761, the Protecting Young Victims
from Sexual Abuse Act. Both Bills passed the House overwhelmingly with
bipartisan support.
BILL HR 1973, the Protecting Young Victims from Sexual
Abuse Act. Over the past 20 years, there have been reports of many
young athletes who were subjected to sexual abuse by coaches, doctors or other
adults affiliated with USA Gymnastics. Although USA Gymnastics received reports
of abuse, victims claimed that USA Gymnastics allowed the abuse allegations,
including complaints made against coaches who trained and abused young athletes
in multiple states, to remain dormant. This law corrects this practice by extending
the mandatory reporting requirements of child abuse to national governing
bodies, like USA gymnastics, to ensure that reports are immediately made to
local or federal law enforcement authorities.
BILL HR 1761, the Protecting Against Child Exploitation
Act, remedies a federal court ruling that had allowed a
defendant to walk free from production of child pornography charges, despite
photographic evidence that he had engaged in in sexual abuse of a child. The
Court found that that he lacked specific intent to produce child pornography
prior to abusing the child. This bill corrects the federal statute against
sexual exploitation of a minor to protect child pornography victims by closing
the loophole that requires the defendant to have specific intent to produce
child pornography prior to abusing a child.