U.S. “Child Predators Accountability Act” Would Broaden Federal Definitions Tied To Child Sexual Abuse Images

Washington, D.C. — A new U.S. House bill would expand federal child-exploitation statutes to cover cases where a minor is depicted in sexually explicit material, even if the child was not coerced to participate in the underlying conduct.

Rep. Mark Harris, R-N.C., introduced H.R. 6715, the Child Predators Accountability Act of 2025, on December 15, 2025. The bill was referred to the House Judiciary Committee and, as of mid-January, is still at the introduced stage on Congress.gov.

The measure would add the phrase “or be depicted engaging in” to two federal criminal provisions: 18 U.S.C. §2251(a) (sexual exploitation of children) and 18 U.S.C. §2260(a) (sexually explicit depictions of a minor for importation).

It would also update the federal definitions in 18 U.S.C. §2256 so that “engage in,” when used for a minor shown in a visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct, includes not only participation, but also the intentional inclusion of a minor in such a depiction, a change supporters say is aimed at closing gaps involving manipulated or staged imagery.

What parents should do now: tighten kids’ social-media privacy settings, limit who can download or share photos, and tell children to report any uncomfortable image-sharing or requests for photos to a trusted adult.

Next steps: families can track whether the bill is scheduled for action (including under House “suspension” procedures) and watch for updates on Congress.gov.

This article was produced by an education parenting today journalist with the assistance of AI. This is not legal advice. All content is reviewed for accuracy and fairness.