Cornyn-Sponsored Bipartisan Bill To Help End Online Sex Trafficking Passes House

“The internet should not be a platform for human traffickers to facilitate modern-day slavery,” Senator Cornyn said. “I commend the House for taking this important step to ensure victims of this horrific crime are able to get the justice they deserve…”

WASHINGTON– U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) praised the passage of the Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act (SESTA) in the U.S. House of Representatives as part of a broader House effort to help end online sex trafficking and provide justice for victims. 

The bipartisan bill is also cosponsored in the Senate by Senators Rob Portman (R-OH), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), John McCain (R-AZ), Claire McCaskill (D-MO), and Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND).

“The internet should not be a platform for human traffickers to facilitate modern-day slavery,” Senator Cornyn said. “I commend the House for taking this important step to ensure victims of this horrific crime are able to get the justice they deserve.”

The Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act would allow sex trafficking victims to get the justice they deserve by eliminating federal liability protections for websites that knowingly assist, support, or facilitate online sex trafficking, and allow state and local prosecutors to prosecute websites that violate federal sex trafficking laws.  

The bill was introduced after the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations’ two-year inquiry which culminated in a report entitled “Backpage.com’s Knowing Facilitation of Online Sex Trafficking,” which found that Backpage.com knowingly facilitated criminal sex trafficking of vulnerable women and children and then covered up evidence of these crimes in order to increase its own profits.

The Senate Commerce Committee unanimously approved the Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act in November. The bill, which now has 67 cosponsors, is supported by trafficking survivors, anti-human trafficking advocates and law enforcement, 50 Attorneys General, the civil rights community, faith-based groups, the larger tech community, and courts and judges who have made clear that it is Congress’ responsibility to act to protect sex trafficking victims.