U.S. Senator John Cornyn Advances Project Safe Childhood Act in Dallas

U.S. Senator John Cornyn advocates for the modernization of Project Safe Childhood Act in Dallas, aiming to enhance collaboration among agencies and protect children from online exploitation.

U.S. Senator John Cornyn visited the Dallas Children’s Advocacy Center to push for the modernization of the Project Safe Childhood Act, a crucial step in combating online child sexual exploitation and abuse. The discussion, attended by law enforcement, educators, and survivors like D.J. Palmer, highlighted the significant impact of this program.

Palmer, a sexual abuse survivor, emphasized the importance of Project Safe Childhood in his case, praising its role in convicting offenders. Initiated by the U.S. Department of Justice in 2006, the program aims to enhance collaboration among agencies nationwide.

Senator Cornyn expressed his intent to pass a bill to update the program, emphasizing its role in funding collaboration between agencies and sharing best practices. The proposed bill would allocate approximately $60 million in federal grants to support these efforts and has already cleared the Senate, with hopes for House approval.

The President of the Dallas Children’s Advocacy Center, Irish Burch, commended Senator Cornyn’s support, stressing the importance of raising awareness to protect children from exploitation. Echoing this sentiment, Palmer emphasized the necessity of a collaborative effort across agencies and states to ensure comprehensive protection for all children.

As discussions continue, survivors like Palmer remain hopeful that initiatives like Project Safe Childhood will lead to a safer environment for children nationwid