(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Congressman Zach Nunn visited a Boys and Girls Club in Des Moines today (Wednesday) to announce bipartisan legislation he says will help improve the reporting in child pornography cases. Nunn says the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children Cyber Tipline received more than 32 million reports of online child pornography last year.”Sadly in Iowa last year, in 2021, we became one of the top five states in the nation. for child sexual abuse associated with this type of exploitation,” Nunn says. He says it’s up to everyone to help change the situation.

“Too often, child sexual assault happens within a known family member or community. Equally, the good news is our communities are the first safeguard to be able to provide awareness and protection for those children when these types of assaults occur,” he says. Nunn, a Republican from Bondurant, says it is long past time for Congress to take a leadership role in making sure the victims of abuse can seek justice for their exploitation trauma, and this legislation will do that.

“It will strengthen the cyber tip line to prevent and respond to online Child Sexual Abuse material,” Nunn says. “It is imperative that we use the full extent of the law to hold accountable those who would exploit and sexually assault a child in violation of the laws and moving it from pornography to what it truly is — a sexual crime against the minor.” Nunn says the Child Online Safety Modernization Act will help law enforcement prosecute the crimes.

Congressman Nunn. (photo from Nunn video)

“It will modernize our cyber tip line and require online platforms to have a role in preventing the exploitation holding and distribution of child sexual assault,” Nunn says. “It will also preserve our cyber tip line reports for a year allowing our law enforcement the ability to not only build a case, but to hold those accountable. Unfortunately, in today’s world, these are only held for days at a time.”

Representatives of the Union County Sheriff’s Department and the Altoona and Des Moines police departments were on hand for Nunn’s announcement. Nunn represents the Third District and hopes the bill will get passed this year.