Legislation sponsored by Representatives Jason Ortitay and Jessica Benham has moved forward in the legislative process. The bill, known as Alicia’s Law, aims to provide law enforcement with additional tools to apprehend child predators online. The House Judiciary Committee approved the bill, which now proceeds to the full House for a vote.
The law is named after Alicia Kozak, who was abducted from her Pittsburgh home by an internet predator at age 13 in 2002. She was the first known victim of such a crime.
“Alicia’s story is heartbreaking, but sadly, it’s not unique anymore,” said Ortitay. “With the explosion of social media and online platforms, these crimes are happening more often — even when parents are doing everything right. This bill will help law enforcement not only find kids faster but also put the people who hurt them behind bars.”
House Bill 1098 proposes establishing the Investigation and Prosecution of Internet Crimes Against Children Program within the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD). The program would offer:
– Grants to law enforcement agencies to create or support task forces for investigating and prosecuting internet crimes against minors.
– Grants to supplement federal funding for task forces focused on child sexual exploitation.
– Grants for training task force members in best practices for detecting, investigating, and prosecuting internet crimes against children.
These task forces would complement existing efforts under the federal Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force Program. Currently, only one ICAC task force operates in Pennsylvania. Alicia’s Law is already active in 12 states.
“Protecting kids shouldn’t be a partisan issue,” Ortitay added. “Let’s give law enforcement the tools they need to do their job and keep our children safe.”
The 46th Legislative District represented by Ortitay includes parts of Allegheny County such as South Fayette Township and McDonald and Oakdale boroughs. It also covers areas in Washington County including Cecil, Chartiers, Mt. Pleasant, North Strabane townships (Districts 6-9), Canonsburg, Houston, and McDonald boroughs.
