With changing technology comes the need for updates in Missouri statutes. Criminal investigators in Missouri have been frustrated for many years by the limitations of the Missouri statutes regarding individuals that prey on children online.
The vast majority of sexual abuse cases begin with grooming behavior by the perpetrator. Incredibly, grooming behavior when conducted by a predator online is not currently against the law. A recently filed piece of legislation, Senate Bill 893 sponsored by Senator Jill Carter (R32), aims to change that.
This bill proposes that if someone contacts a child online and makes sexually grooming type of comments, they could be charged with a felony. This would be determined by examining the frequency and nature of the contacts and using a standard of reasonableness to determine if the intention is to prepare, condition or manipulate a child for sexual abuse.
This law also establishes the offenses of nonconsensual dissemination of private sexual images and threatening to disseminate those images as the “Evan’s Voice Act.” Evan Boettler, a 16-year-old Aurora High School student, took his own life in January of 2024 after an unsuccessful online extortion attempt.
Senator Carter spoke at a recent press conference at the Capitol and said, “Protecting our children and most vulnerable youth,” is the heart of this bill. “It is difficult to listen to stories … of children who are considering taking their life because of what happened to them… we are determined to make that change.”
According to a recent study by the Center for Cyber Safety, 40 percent of children ages 9-14 have met and had a conversation with a stranger online. Grooming, both in person and online, is a prevalent and growing, yet often under-reported avenue that predators use in child sexual abuse cases.
Randee Kaiser
Jasper County Sheriff
Missouri Sheriffs’ Association Legislative Chair
Senator Jill Carter and Jasper County Sheriff Randee Kaiser at the capitol.
