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As sheriff of Marquette County, I’ve learned that some of the most devastating crimes don’t begin with a knock at the door. They begin with a notification.
A message from someone pretending to be another teenager. A social media request that seems harmless. A conversation on a gaming platform. Within days, that contact can turn into manipulation, extortion, exploitation or worse.
Our own community has lived this reality. The sextortion scheme that claimed the life of a Marquette teenager was a heartbreaking reminder that online threats are not abstract. They are real, they are evolving and they reach every corner of our country, including the Upper Peninsula.
Law enforcement will always investigate these crimes, identify offenders and pursue justice. But there is an uncomfortable truth we understand: by the time we receive the call, significant harm has often already occurred. No arrest can erase trauma. No conviction can restore what a child or family has lost.
That is why prevention deserves as much attention as prosecution.
Congress is currently considering several proposals aimed at making the online environment safer for children. The U.S. Senate recently examined the Kids Online Safety Act, which would establish a duty for major online platforms to better protect minors, provide parents with additional tools and controls, and require greater transparency about risks to young users.
Those conversations are important. But protecting children online will require multiple layers of prevention.
Another proposal, the App Store Accountability Act starts prevention even earlier. By requiring parental consent before minors download apps, strengthening age verification, and establishing clearer age ratings, it gives parents a meaningful opportunity to decide which digital platforms their children can access before bad actors ever reach them.
Parents remain the first line of defense for their children. Yet today’s digital marketplace often asks them to protect children without giving them the information or authority to do so effectively.
Nationally, the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force conducted nearly 347,000 investigations last year - an increase of over 70% from the prior year - resulting in more than 17,000 arrests. Those numbers reflect an enormous law enforcement effort, but they also underscore a sobering reality: too many families become victims before law enforcement ever has the opportunity to intervene.
Technology has created extraordinary opportunities for learning and connection. It has also created new pathways for exploitation. Our laws should recognize both realities.
The dangers are evident and urgent. Cases like the one in Marquette show how quickly innocent online interactions can devolve into catastrophic outcomes. As Congress considers how best to protect children online, lawmakers should ensure that prevention is part of the solution.
Law enforcement will always pursue those who exploit children and bring them to justice. Congress should do its part by giving parents practical, commonsense tools to protect their children before law enforcement is ever needed.