THE STOP ACT

The STOP Act — Statewide Taskforce on Online Predators

Child Exploitation Task Force Funding

Children are being targeted, exploited, and trafficked in Wisconsin every day. Online predators use social media, gaming platforms, and messaging apps to access minors. Trafficking networks target vulnerable young people across our state. And the resources dedicated to stopping it have never been sufficient.

Reive has seen the consequences of these crimes firsthand — as a Community Service Officer with the Appleton Police Department and as a 911 dispatcher at the Shawano County Sheriff's Office. He knows what these crimes do to victims, families, and communities. The STOP Act gives law enforcement the tools to fight back.

Investigate: Dedicated, sustained funding for Wisconsin's Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force — with more investigators, digital forensics specialists, and direct coordination with the FBI and Homeland Security. Every Wisconsin county must have at least one law enforcement officer with specialized training in internet crimes against children. No child should be less protected simply because of their zip code.

Prosecute: Child exploitation cases need prosecutors exclusively assigned to them with expedited case timelines so victims aren't waiting years for justice. Mandatory minimum sentences for production, distribution, or possession of child sexual abuse material — no exceptions, no plea deals that reduce charges to non-sexual offenses, and mandatory sex offender registration for all convictions.

Prevent: Age-appropriate online safety education at every grade level. Training for law enforcement, school personnel, healthcare workers, and hospitality employees who are most likely to encounter victims first. And accountability for the platforms that facilitate predatory access to minors.

Support Victims: A dedicated advocate assigned to every case, trauma-informed counseling, and long-term follow-up services — because a conviction doesn't undo the harm done to a child.

Wisconsin's children deserve nothing less.