S. 4260Senate119th Congress (2025-2027)In Committee

Child Predators Accountability Act

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Updated April 13, 2026 at 2:11 AM UTC

The Child Predators Accountability Act expands federal child sexual exploitation laws to cover visual depictions of minors, even when the minor did not actually engage in the sexual conduct. It changes existing statutes so that creating, distributing, or importing such depictions can be prosecuted as sexual exploitation. The law primarily affects individuals who produce or share child sexual abuse material, broadening the range of conduct that can be charged as a crime.

Key Provisions

Amends 18 U.S.C. § 2251(a) to make it illegal to depict a minor engaging in sexual activity, not just to coerce a minor to engage.
Amends 18 U.S.C. § 2260(a) to apply the same prohibition to the importation of visual depictions of minors.
Updates the definition in 18 U.S.C. § 2256 by adding a new paragraph that defines “engage in” to include any visual depiction of a minor in sexual conduct, even if the minor did not actually participate, when the defendant intentionally includes the minor in the depiction.

Legislative Activity

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SenateIntro Referral Latest Action

Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

Judiciary Committee

March 26, 2026

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SenateIntro Referral

Introduced in Senate

March 26, 2026

SenateIntro Referral

Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

Judiciary Committee

March 26, 2026

Bill Text

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Introduced in SenateIssued March 26, 2026

119th CONGRESS

2d Session

S. 4260

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

March 26, 2026

Mr. Cornyn (for himself, Ms. Klobuchar, Mrs. Britt, and Mr. Grassley) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

A BILL

To prohibit sexual exploitation and sexually explicit depictions of minors, and for other purposes.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Child Predators Accountability Act.

Preventing sexual exploitation and sexually explicit depictions of minors

(a)

Sexual exploitation of children

Section 2251(a) of title 18, United States Code, is amended by inserting after coerces any minor to engage in, the following: or be depicted engaging in,.

(b)

Sexually explicit depictions of a minor for importation

Section 2260(a) of title 18, United States Code, is amended by inserting after coerces any minor to engage in, the following: or be depicted engaging in,.

(c)

Definition

Section 2256 of title 18, United States Code, is amended—

(1)

in paragraph (10), by striking and at the end;

(2)

in paragraph (11), by striking the period at the end and inserting ; and; and

(3)

by adding at the end the following:

(12)

engage in, when used with respect to a minor depicted in a visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct, includes—

(A)

the participation of the minor in the sexually explicit conduct; or

(B)

the depiction of the minor in the visual depiction of the sexually explicit conduct, regardless of whether the minor participated in such conduct, if the defendant intentionally included such minor in the visual depiction.