House backs new offense for online grooming and AI‑generated exploitation, sponsor says bill helps law enforcement intervene earlier

Representative Love presented House Bill 82 as a Department of Justice request to update Montana's criminal code for online child exploitation. Love said the bill “provides comprehensive protection by creating specific offenses for online grooming, addressing AI generated exploitation materials, enabling proactive law enforcement intervention, and establishing clear penalties for digital exploitation.”

Love cited cyber tip statistics and trends reported to state and national authorities, saying Montana received hundreds of cyber tips in recent months and that the digital age and artificial intelligence have created new avenues for predators. She said the bill will allow law enforcement to intervene earlier in potential cases of grooming or sextortion.

Representative Zephyr spoke in favor of the bill and praised the Department of Justice presentation. Zephyr noted an amendment added in committee that broadened language about who may pose as an underage person to include “a person, including a police officer,” and expressed concern about the potential for vigilantism even while supporting the bill.

There was no further floor debate recorded. The committee motion that House Bill 82 do pass on second reading carried unanimously; the clerk recorded 100 votes in favor and 0 opposed.

Supporters framed the bill as updating state law to match new technologies and federal reporting standards; Zephyr and others urged care with language that could have unintended consequences or that might encourage non-law-enforcement impersonation tactics.