Sports commentator and author Tim Tebow on Wednesday urged Congress to do more to rid the world of child sexual abuse material, telling a House committee that he supports the “biblical definition of hope.” , said he believes both parties can work together to find a solution.
The former Heisman Trophy winner and current ESPN commentator leads the Tim Tebow Foundation, a nonprofit organization that serves marginalized populations and fights child sexual abuse and exploitation. He is an outspoken Christian.
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Last night I received a message from a rescued girl. “Thank you so much for speaking up for us”…and that’s… pic.twitter.com/HabteqT1tQ
— Tim Tebow (@TimTebow) March 6, 2024
Tebow told the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Federal Oversight during a hearing on child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and the fight between federal, state, and international partners to stop it. I commented on it.
Tebow told the subcommittee that more than 50,000 children have been victims of child sex abuse material but have not yet been identified.
“They are unknowns,” Tebow said. “How can we save them until someone knows them?”
But there were also victories, he noted. Last year, he said, the Department of Homeland Security worked with officials in 13 countries and national groups, including the Tim Tebow Foundation, to use technology such as facial recognition and artificial intelligence to identify likely child sexual abuse cases. They say they have identified 316 cases. More than half of them were in the United States.
“It was an incredible surgery,” he said. “But it’s a small dent.”
Tebow urged Congress to pass the proposal. Victim Identification Bill According to the foundation’s website, he supports “creating a rescue team of analysts to locate and protect children depicted in sexual abuse images around the world.”
“We have a lot of frontline warriors and heroes, but it’s not enough,” he says. “…He needs many more to reach 50,000 boys and girls.”
Tebow noted society’s enthusiasm for sports and said law enforcement needs the same dedication and resources that athletes receive, if not more.
“I’ve had the opportunity to play on many sports teams in my life,” he said. “Almost every game, we’ve got incredible resources to increase our chances of winning the game, but no matter how much we care about it, it ultimately doesn’t matter. Why don’t we give just as many, if not more, resources to the heroes on the front lines who go after the most vulnerable boys and girls on earth?”
Tebow said he believes the fight against child sexual abuse content can be won.
“We have an opportunity to bring hope to people who are hungry for hope,” he said. “…I love to use the Biblical definition of hope, which is to look forward with confidence, hope, and anticipation. Can’t they also look forward with confidence, hope, and anticipation, because they believe that their tomorrow will be just as bad as today? And, thanks to you, they may one day be able to look forward with true confidence, hope, and anticipation.”
Image credit: ©Getty Images / Kent Nishimura / stringer
Michael Faust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His story was published in Baptist Press. Christianity Today, Christian Poecent, of leaf chronicle, of toronto star and of knoxville news sentinel.
