Attorney General Knudsen Supports Bill to Strengthen Protection Against Online Child Exploitation

Attorney General Austin Knudsen, along with Montana Department of Justice investigators and prosecutors, testified today before the House Judiciary Committee in support of House Bill 82, a new legislative effort aimed at protecting children from sexual exploitation online.

Sponsored by Representative Kathy Love, House Bill 82 proposes key changes to Montana law to better hold online predators accountable. The bill will:

• Criminalize the act of grooming a child for sexual offenses under the state’s crimes against children statute.
• Allow perpetrators to be charged with crimes against children resulting from proactive law enforcement operations.
• Enable the prosecution of sex predators using artificial intelligence (AI) to digitally alter images in a way that exploits children.

“As times change and technology evolves, we must ensure our state laws keep up and that we are protecting Montana children from dangerous predators online,” said Attorney General Knudsen. “At the Montana Department of Justice, we identified gaps in the law that leave kids vulnerable to predators on social media, gaming platforms, and messaging apps. I urge the Legislature to join me in supporting House Bill 82 to close these gaps and give law enforcement the tools they need to hold perpetrators accountable.”

Rep. Love emphasized the urgency of updating Montana’s laws to respond to emerging threats. “We must pass House Bill 82. With evolving technology comes new and creative ways for criminals and predators to prey on our children. In the digital age, our laws need to adapt to protect our children from these new threats. If we don’t act, we leave them vulnerable to predators who are already exploiting technological advances,” she said.

House Bill 82 builds on the work of federal legislation like the 2024 REPORT Act, which set national standards for reporting child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and requires tech companies to report child enticement to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). The new bill will allow Montana investigators and prosecutors to act on text-based tips received from NCMEC, identify victims, and take swift action to protect children and hold offenders accountable.

The increase in online child exploitation is stark: In 2024, Montana’s Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) received 2,640 CSAM cyber tips, a 230 percent increase from 798 in 2021. Nationally, NCMEC received over 32 million CyberTipline reports in 2023, a 12 percent jump from the previous year.

The Department of Justice’s Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force plays a crucial role in investigating these cases. By working with NCMEC and local law enforcement, the task force aims to hold those responsible for using the internet and other technology to exploit children accountable.

House Bill 82 is seen as an essential step in updating Montana’s laws to combat the growing threat of online predators and ensure the safety and well-being of the state’s children.

By: Montana Newsroom staff