S. 3704 · Where this bill is now
In committee
Introduced in the Senate, Jan 27, 2026
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summaryCreates federal crimes for online sextortion
Ever heard of sextortion? It's when someone threatens to share embarrassing explicit images to pressure a person into sending more. This bill makes that a federal crime. It specifically targets people who threaten to distribute or create explicit images of minors (or people they think are minors) to coerce them into making or sending explicit material. The bill also covers attempts and conspiracies to do this.
How it affects you
If you're a young person or parent, this gives federal law enforcement new tools to prosecute people trying to extort explicit images from minors online. Minors who experience sextortion would fall under this federal protection. The bill doesn't directly affect most other adults, but it reinforces the legal consequences for this form of online exploitation.
Read the official summary (Introduced in Senate, Jan 27, 2026)
Combating Online Predators Act or the COP Act
This bill establishes new federal criminal offenses for threatening to distribute a visual depiction of a minor (or person believed to be a minor) engaging in sexually explicit conduct with the intent that the minor (or person believed to be a minor) create or transmit a visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct. (This practice is commonly referred to as sextortion .) The bill also prohibits attempts and conspiracies to commit the offenses.
Written by AI (Claude) using only the official summary by the Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress’s nonpartisan research staff. It can miss nuance, so check the official summary and the bill text for details.
2nd SessionS. 3704
A BILL
COP Act
Sponsor: Sen. Ashley Moody (R-FL) · Introduced Jan 27, 2026 · Crime and Law Enforcement · 1 version of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action Jan 27, 2026: “Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.”