The Missouri House passed major legislation strengthening laws related to child exploitation, human trafficking, and sexual crimes involving minors and vulnerable individuals by a vote of 148–2.
The bill updates state law by replacing the term ‘child pornography’ with ‘child sexual abuse material.’ It reestablishes a statewide anti-trafficking council within the Attorney General’s Office and creates a special fund to support education, awareness, and victim services. It also expands training for law enforcement officers, prosecutors, juvenile officers, EMTs, and social workers.
The legislation creates a new felony crime for grooming a minor, increases penalties for prostitution-related offenses involving minors, strengthens laws against sharing private images without consent, expands sex offender registration requirements, restores grant funding for cybercrime task forces, extends the time victims of child sex trafficking have to file civil lawsuits, and requires lodging establishments to provide annual human trafficking awareness training.
