Tim Tebow Applauds Passage of Legislation to Rescue Tens of Thousands of Sexually Exploited Children
Hello June 10th, 2026
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Jacksonville, Fla., June 9, 2026 — Tim Tebow, Founder and Chairman of the Tim Tebow Foundation (TTF), applauds Congress for passing legislation addressing the escalating crisis of online child exploitation. Passing the Senate on June 5, 2026, and the House on June 9, 2026, the provision — part of the broader reconciliation bill funding the Department of Homeland Security — allocates $108.5 million to hire 200 additional victim identification analysts, forensic analysts, and investigators focused on identifying unknown children seen in sexual abuse images, so they can be located and safeguarded.
Identifying a single child requires extensive forensic analysis and coordination across jurisdictions before law enforcement can intervene. This legislation significantly strengthens Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Cyber Crimes Center capacity, which currently has only seven full-time victim identification analysts assigned to identify tens of thousands of children.
“Right now, 89,000 unidentified image series of children being sexually abused have been seen by law enforcement — but these children have yet to be identified and are still waiting to be found due to resource and manpower shortages,” said Tebow, Founder and Chairman of the Tim Tebow Foundation. “Every day we don't act is another day they're in harm's way. Today, we acted. I am grateful to our congressional leaders for getting this lifesaving legislation over the finish line, and to the law enforcement who never stop fighting for these kids. My prayer is that hope is renewed for many more boys and girls, and that their stories will be different because of this legislation. When we come together, real change can happen — and this is just the beginning.”
Tebow and TTF thank Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) for his leadership in championing this legislation and helping bring it across the finish line.
The $108.5 million dedicated to child exploitation in the reconciliation package is based on The Renewed Hope Act authored by Senators John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), and Representatives Laurel Lee (R-Fla.) and Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.).
Tebow and TTF are grateful to the legislation’s authors and the following bipartisan leaders for their support in advancing this legislation: Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), Speaker
Mike Johnson (R-La.), House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.); Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky.); and Representatives Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), Ranking Member Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), Ranking Member Lucy McBath (D-Ga.), and Madeleine Dean (D-Pa.).
“My legislation with Tim Tebow to rescue thousands of children trapped in sex trafficking just passed the House and is headed to the President’s desk,” said Sen. Hawley. “That’s two hundred new law enforcement officers to find and rescue kids trafficked by predators and a new initiative to coordinate local, state, and federal enforcement. This is the biggest surge against online child exploitation ever by the federal government. It’s time to rescue these kids.”
“Predators are developing increasingly sophisticated tactics for targeting children online with the proliferation of AI and emerging technologies,” said Sen. Cornyn. “By increasing Homeland Security Investigations’ ability to hire, train, and retain investigators, computer forensic analysts, and other specialized victim identification staff as part of the Secure America Act, my legislation will equip law enforcement with the resources needed to confront the evolving digital threat landscape, bring offenders to justice, and safeguard children from the horrors of exploitation and abuse.”
“When I introduced the Renewed Hope Act, I did it because I could not look away from the reality that 89,000 children are still waiting to be found — and that the investigators working around the clock to find them were severely outnumbered,” said Congresswoman Laurel Lee. “Today, that changes. This investment will put new analysts and investigators to work identifying those children and bringing their abusers to justice. I am grateful to Tim Tebow and the Tim Tebow Foundation for their tireless advocacy — their voice helped make this moment possible and I look forward to watching these resources reach the hands of the law enforcement heroes who will use them to bring these children home.”
Tebow testified on March 3, 2026, before the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism, urging Congress to address the escalating crisis of online child exploitation. During his testimony, Tebow highlighted the widening gap between the scale of exploitation and available federal resources. When he testified before the House Judiciary Committee on March 6, 2024, there were 57,000 unidentified children seen in sexually abusive image series in just one law enforcement database. An “image series” indicates repeated abuse of the same child. Since 2024, the number of unidentified series has grown to 89,000. Experts believe that a third of these children are in the U.S., and some are infants.
Tebow and TTF applaud this passage as they continue to champion meaningful change at the government level. Their goal is to empower individuals and communities to amplify their voices, challenge injustices, and advocate for solutions that address issues related to child exploitation and victim identification. To support the Tim Tebow Foundation’s advocacy for victims of child exploitation, visit https://timtebowfoundation.org/advocacy.
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