Subcommittee advances H4804 to increase penalties for sexual exploitation of minors; amendment narrows five-year minimum to repeat registrants

The Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity, and Special Laws Subcommittee on Monday voted to give House Bill H4804 a favorable report as amended, advancing the measure that raises criminal penalties for certain sexual-exploitation offenses against minors.

Representative Travis Moore, the bill—o-sponsor and chair of the subcommittee, said the bill has four components that change minimum terms for first-, second- and third-degree sexual-exploitation offenses and tie some sentences to the number of images involved. "These are people who have already done this and are continuing to engage in not only this criminal activity, but victimizing children," Moore said while explaining an amendment that narrows the five-year mandatory minimum to repeat registrable offenders.

Why it matters: The bill increases the mandatory minimum penalties the sponsor described as targeting repeat offenders and provides prosecutors with clearer statutory minimums tied to the scale of possession or distribution. Supporters said stiffer mandatory jail time will reduce recidivism for those arrested repeatedly on child-exploitation matters.

Key details: Moore said the bill would amend the relevant code (as introduced, referenced in the transcript as "South County code 16-15-3-95") to raise the minimum for first-degree exploitation from three to five years and increase the second-degree mandatory minimum from two to three years. For third-degree offenses based on possession, the sponsor described tiered penalty ranges keyed to image counts: possession of 1 to 25 images, possession of 26 to 250 images, and possession of more than 250 images, with different term ranges described in committee discussion. Moore also offered and the committee adopted an amendment to ensure the five-year mandatory minimum applies only to defendants who, upon conviction, are required to register as a sex offender and who have a prior registrable conviction; the amendment further bars suspending any part of the minimum sentence or parole eligibility before serving the minimum.

Support and enforcement: Matthew Gates, speaking for Attorney General Alan Wilson nd the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, urged the committee to support the bill, telling the panel the task force—ontinues to receive a high volume of online tips about suspected child exploitation. "We received in 2025 22,000 cyber tips," Gates said, using that volume to underline the office nd task force's enforcement burden and support for mandatory jail time for repeat offenders.

Committee action: The chair ordered a roll call on the bill as amended. Recorded votes included Representative Moore ye; Representative McCabe ye; Representative Wickenheimer ye. The clerk announced the result as "3 in favor, 2 not voting, none against," and H4804 received a favorable report as amended from the subcommittee.

What happens next: The bill was reported favorably and will proceed as the subcommittee directed. Committee members and staff said they are available to receive further input as the measure moves to the next committee stage.

Ending: The subcommittee completed action on H4804 and moved on to other agenda items before adjourning so members could attend the House floor session.