James T. Woods Act in plain language
1: Short title
This section would give the Act a short title: the "Combating Online Predators Act of 2025," also called the "COP Act of 2025."
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1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Combating Online Predators Act of 2025 or the COP Act of 2025 .
2: Prohibiting threats to a minor
This section would create a new federal crime under 18 U.S.C. 2252A. It would be illegal for a person to knowingly distribute, offer, send, or provide, in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce, a threat to distribute a visual depiction of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct, or a visual depiction of a person the defendant believes is a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct, if the person made that threat with the intent that the minor, or the person the defendant believes is a minor, create or transmit a visual depiction of any minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct. The bill would also extend the penalty provision already in subsection (b) of that statute, which currently applies to other listed violations, so that it also applies to this new offense. Separately, this section would create a nearly identical new offense under 18 U.S.C. 2252: it would be illegal for a person to knowingly distribute, offer, send, or provide, in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce, a threat to distribute a visual depiction of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct, or a visual depiction of a person the defendant believes is a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct, made with the intent that the minor, or the person the defendant believes is a minor, create or transmit a visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct. The bill would extend the penalty provision in subsection (b)(2) of that statute and the provision in subsection (c), both of which currently apply to other listed violations, so that they also apply to this new offense.
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2. Prohibiting threats to a minor (a) Material involving the sexual exploitation of minors Section 2252A of title 18, United States Code, is amended— (1) in subsection (a)— (A) in paragraph (6), by striking illegal; or and inserting illegal; ; (B) in paragraph (7), by striking the period at the end and inserting ; or ; and (C) by inserting after paragraph (7) the following: (8) knowingly distributes, offers, sends, or provides, in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce, a threat to distribute— (A) a visual depiction of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct, or (B) a visual depiction of a person the defendant believes is a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct, with the intent that the minor, or the person the defendant believes is a minor, create or transmit a visual depiction of any minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct, ; and (2) in subsection (b), by striking or (6) and inserting (6), or (8) . (b) Material constituting or containing child pornography Section 2252 of title 18, United States Code, is amended— (1) in subsection (a)— (A) in paragraph (3)(B)(ii), by striking or at the end; (B) in paragraph (4)(B)(ii), by inserting or after the semicolon; and (C) by inserting after paragraph (4) the following: (5) knowingly distributes, offers, sends, or provides, in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce, a threat to distribute— (A) a visual depiction of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct, or (B) a visual depiction of a person the defendant believes is a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct, with the intent that the minor, or the person the defendant believes is a minor, create or transmit a visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct, ; (2) in subsection (b)(2), by inserting or (5) after paragraph (4) ; and (3) in subsection (c), in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by inserting or (5) after paragraph (4) .