Washington, Jan 24 (NationPress) The rapid escalation of online child sexual exploitation, fueled by social media, encrypted platforms, and the advent of Artificial Intelligence, has raised alarms among lawmakers and child protection advocates speaking to the US Congress.

Rep. Nancy Mace, who leads the House Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Information Technology, and Government Innovation, stated, “Protecting our children from online exploitation and abuse is a concern that brings us together: Democrats, Republicans, parents, grandparents, and all others.”

Ranking Member Shontel Brown highlighted that the scale and speed of dissemination have altered the threat landscape, noting, “The alarming rise in these horrifying images, videos, and records, commonly known as CSAM, has been significantly enabled by advancements in technology and the Internet.”

Stefan Turkheimer, vice president of public policy at RAINN, emphasized that reports of this crisis are reaching the National Sexual Assault Hotline, stating, “Last year, nearly half a million Americans contacted the hotline, with a notable surge in calls from children since the pandemic began.” He added, “68 percent of these calls pertain to child sexual abuse.”

Highlighting the urgency of the situation, Turkheimer remarked, “We are facing a critical crisis at the intersection of technology and child safety.” He referenced the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, disclosing, “In 2023 alone, over 32 million reports of suspected child sexual abuse materials were submitted, with numbers projected to rise exponentially each year.”

Brad Russ, executive director of the National Criminal Justice Training Center, indicated that Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) task forces are inundated with leads, stating, “Last year, there were 675,000 cyber tips sent to the task forces, making it an overwhelming challenge.”

Russ noted the dire situation faced by task force members, saying, “From 71,000 investigative leads, only 500 are being actively pursued.” He mentioned that “the turnover rate among task force members is about 25 percent annually due to the challenging nature of this work,” and pointed out that funding has remained relatively stagnant since 2008 at just over $30 million.

The conversation also addressed how offenders exploit various platforms to move minors. Turkheimer explained, “One of the strategic goals of offenders is to transition children from safer environments like Roblox to riskier spaces like Telegram.”

On the issue of accountability, he added, “Without any liability, there is no economic motivation for these platforms to prioritize safety.”

Mace, citing incidents in her Colorado district, cautioned, “Every day that passes without decisive action puts more children at risk of exploitation, sextortion, extortion, grooming, and trauma that can have lasting effects.” Turkheimer concluded with optimism, stating, “I want to emphasize that safety is achievable.”

The Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force Program was established in 1998 to foster cooperation among state and local investigations into online child exploitation, with federally funded task forces aiding thousands of agencies.

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) administers the CyberTipline, which serves as a national reporting system for suspected online child sexual exploitation. According to US federal law, online service providers are mandated to report apparent CSAM to NCMEC.