The Executive Office of the President released a statement of administration policy endorsing the James T. Woods Act on Wednesday, June 10. The bipartisan act, named after a Streetsboro teen who fell victim to sextortion, aims to amend current law to protect minors from online exploitation.
The act is described by the Senate Judiciary Committee as a “widely supported legislative package” consisting of three bills that would update laws penalizing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and create two new crimes addressing sextortion and violent cybercrime networks.
In February, the Judiciary Committee unanimously advanced the act, which is supported by over two dozen law enforcement and child safety organizations. It now awaits consideration and passage by the full Senate and House before it can be sent to the President for signature.
This major step is the culmination of four years of dedication from Tamia and Tim Woods, who started the Do It For James Foundation to spread awareness around the growing crime of sextortion after their son fell victim.
Their efforts have had an impact. Both the FBI and the Internet Crimes Against Children task force in Ohio have informed the Woods family that their work has led to increased call and tip volume from victims. Before voting, members of the Senate Committee discussed being moved by James’s story and the family’s efforts to protect other children.
In March, U.S. Representative Emilia Sykes (OH-13) penned a letter to House and Senate leadership urging them to bring the Act to the floor for a vote. She discussed the absence of protections in James’s case and the need for reform to protect children moving forward.
“Across the country, millions of children have profiles on the same social media platforms as any adult anywhere in the world. Adults know that these children are vulnerable, and they are taking advantage,” Sykes wrote.
“Our children should not be left unprotected and James T. Woods should still be with us today. Congress must act to hold those responsible for this abuse accountable, and the James T. Woods Act is a critical step in the right direction.”
The White House described the bill as another step in the current administration’s efforts to protect vulnerable individuals from harms caused by CSAM and nonconsensual intimate imagery (NCII). In 2025, President Trump signed the TAKE IT DOWN Act, which criminalized the spread of NCII and created regulations for online platforms to remove covered content.
“Many criminals use digital devices and platforms to harass, harm, and humiliate victims, many of whom are children. Such criminals coerce minors to commit harms against others and themselves, and extort minors by threatening to distribute child sexual abuse materials commonly referred to as ‘sextortion,’” the White House press release reads.
“The Senate-reported version of H.R. 6719 (James T. Woods Act) would address these harms by establishing new criminal offenses to ensure that criminals are held accountable for the full array of harms that they cause to their minor victims. If H.R. 6719 were presented to the President in its current form, his advisors would recommend that he sign it into law.”
