On June 11, 2025, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed multiple bills into law aimed at increasing protections for children and victims of sexual crimes. The legislation significantly strengthens state laws related to child exploitation, sexual offenders, and digital abuse.
“Florida has zero tolerance for criminals who exploit children,” said Governor DeSantis. “Throughout my time in office, we’ve worked with the legislature to strengthen penalties for child abuse, hold predators accountable, and ensure that Florida remains a safe place to raise a family.”
The newly signed bills include:
House Bill 777 – Offenses Involving Children
- Expands protections to all children under 14 years old.
- Broadens the offense to include luring children out of dwellings, vehicles, or structures.
- Eliminates defenses based on ignorance or misrepresentation of a child’s age.
- Increases penalties, upgrading first offenses to a 3rd-degree felony and subsequent offenses to a 2nd-degree felony.
House Bill 1351 – Registration of Sexual Predators and Sexual Offenders
- Requires registrants to provide detailed employment information.
- Mandates reporting of in-state travel residences within 48 hours.
- Establishes annual address verifications for offenders and quarterly verifications for predators.
House Bill 1455 – Sexual Offenses by Persons Previously Convicted of Sexual Offenses
- Imposes mandatory minimum sentences for certain offenses committed by registered offenders.
- Eliminates eligibility for discretionary early release except in limited circumstances.
House Bill 1161 – Brooke’s Law
- Creates a clear process for victims of deepfake sexual exploitation to have content removed within 48 hours.
- Holds online platforms accountable while allowing flexibility in enforcement.
- Protects platform immunity for good-faith compliance to prevent over-censorship.
Governor DeSantis also committed to signing Senate Bill 1804 – Capital Sex Trafficking, which establishes Capital Human Trafficking of Vulnerable Persons for Sexual Exploitation as a new felony offense. The law targets individuals who exploit children under 12 or mentally incapacitated individuals, imposing life imprisonment or the death penalty for offenders.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement will oversee many of the enforcement mechanisms included in the new laws. These measures reflect the state’s continued efforts to address child protection, modern digital exploitation, and serious sex crimes with some of the harshest penalties in the nation.
Comments are closed, but trackbacks and pingbacks are open.