The Florida Senate

April 10, 2024

I was honored to be with Governor Ron DeSantis in St. Petersburg today as he signed House Bill 1545 into law. This bill will make grooming children a third-degree felony, and will also increase the penalties for sexually assaulting children and possessing child pornography.

Families in Florida will now be more protected from child predators, and courts will have the necessary tools to prosecute those who seek to harm our youth. This bill was heavily amended throughout the legislative process to ensure that it would be effective in serving justice.

I am proud to have not only carried the Senate counterpart of this bill but also to include text from Senate Bill 1656 which dealt with child grooming. Using social media to take advantage of children and cause them harm will now be illegal, which will further protect our most vulnerable population.

Thank you to Representative Baker, Representative Yarkosky, Governor DeSantis, and all of the legislative staff who worked on this bill for their work to protect families in Florida.