Law enforcement officials and child safety advocates gathered at a public hearing of the Senate Majority Policy Committee in Trappe to discuss the growing risks posed by artificial intelligence (AI) in the exploitation of children. The session, hosted by Sen. Tracy Pennycuick (R-24), focused on Senate Bill 1050, which would require mandated reporters to notify authorities about all instances of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), including those generated by AI.
Supporters of the bill emphasized its importance as digital technology creates new avenues for child exploitation. “Sadly, today our children are being targeted in new ways that weren’t even possible just a few years ago. AI-generated CSAM, deepfake pornography, AI chatbots creating harmful content and online predators using technology to manipulate and exploit – this is the new reality,” said Pennycuick. “It’s imperative that we teach children safe internet practices so they can decipher what’s real and what’s fake. Today’s public hearing helped us identify what new guardrails are needed to ensure our kids are safe online.”
Angela Sperrazza, chief deputy attorney general of the Child Predator Section at the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, described Senate Bill 1050 as vital for updating state laws to reflect current threats. She stated that the bill “sends a powerful and necessary message – Pennsylvania will not normalize the sexualization of children in any form.”
Gabriella Glenning, assistant district attorney and captain of the Family Protection Unit at Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office, also expressed support for the legislation. She said it “provides law enforcement with a mechanism to investigate, identify victims and perpetrators and pursue charges when appropriate.”
Angela M. Liddle, president and CEO of Pennsylvania Family Support Alliance, highlighted how advances in technology have made it difficult to distinguish between real and synthetic images depicting abuse: “this blurring of reality and fabrication make it nearly impossible to tell which images depict real children and which are synthetic, yet both normalize abuse and feed the demand for it at the expense of our children.”
Leslie Slingsby, CEO of services and operations for Mission Kids, discussed challenges faced under current law: uncertainty “leaves gaps that offenders exploit, frustrates investigators and undermines our collective duty to protect children.” She added that Senate Bill 1050 moves toward a “digital world that protects children’s dignity as fiercely as their physical safety.”
The full video recording of this public hearing along with written testimony is available on the Senate Majority Policy Committee’s website.
