Roberts Bill to Protect Children from Sexual Exploitation Passes Senate Unanimously

DENVER, CO – The Senate today unanimously passed bipartisan legislation to update and strengthen Colorado’s criminal statutes regarding commercial sexual activity with a child. 

SB26-015, sponsored by Senator Dylan Roberts, D-Frisco, would modernize outdated terminology and increase penalties for crimes relating to sexual exploitation of a child. 

“Children deserve protection, dignity, and justice,” said Roberts. “This bill is a targeted approach to address a gap in current law that can allow those who have sexually exploited children to avoid jail time. It creates a new floor, strengthening protections for children and ensuring accountability for those who buy children for sex. It also modernizes language to make it clear that children are never at fault in these cases.”

Also sponsored by Senator Byron Pelton, R-Sterling, the bill would replace outdated terms related to “child prostitution” with the more accurate “commercial sexual activity with a child,” reframing these offenses to emphasize the exploitation of children.

SB26-015 would also increase penalties for such offenses. It would require a minimum of 364 days of jail time as a condition of probation if an offender is charged with soliciting commercial sexual activity with a child. It would increase penalties for other crimes related to commercial sexual activity with a child, requiring courts to impose a mandatory minimum sentence of the lower end of the sentencing range, which is currently four years for a class 3 felony. Lastly, the bill would create a new class 3 felony for the crime of internet luring of a child with intent to meet a child for commercial sexual activity.

SB26-015 now heads to the House for further consideration. Track its progress HERE.