(LifeSiteNews) — Child sex predators could face longer prison sentences under new legislation signed by Indiana Governor Mike Braun.
Braun, a Republican, hosted a ceremonial bill signing on Wednesday. HEA 1303 raises “the penalty on child predators who exploit children with child sex abuse material,” according to an announcement. The bill passed unanimously.
The law also “creat[es] a new offense for distribution of child sex abuse material and tighten[s] offender registration requirements including for offenders coming from other jurisdictions,” the governor’s office announced.
“Last year, Indiana State Police arrested 499 people for crimes against children and rescued 126 children from ongoing abuse, while the Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force received 29,635 cyber tips – a 38% increase over the prior year,” the governor’s office stated in a news release.
Braun also signed a bill that requires parental consent for children under 16 years of age to use social media platforms. The final version, part of a larger education bill, passed with only one no vote from either chamber. The governor officially signed both laws in early March.
It also requires certain increased protections for children, including on direct messaging options and “algorithm-driven recommendations and certain addictive platform features.” A California jury recently found Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, as well as YouTube, liable in a landmark social media addiction trial.
Braun framed both bills as an attempt to protect children.
“We are taking decisive action to empower parents and protect Hoosier children from online predators,” the governor stated.
“These laws put stronger protections around children online, give parents more control, and strengthen Indiana’s ability to crack down on predators and child exploitation,” Braun stated. “We are going to keep using every tool we have to protect kids, support families, and put predators who target children online behind bars.”
Last year, Indiana State Police arrested 499 people for crimes against children and rescued 126 children from ongoing abuse.
We’re building on that progress to protect kids online and put child predators behind bars. https://t.co/LgJmPeO8cY
— Governor Mike Braun (@GovBraun) April 1, 2026
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Republican Representative Jeff Raatz further explained the social media law and why he supported it.
“Social media platforms are also required to use reasonable means to estimate the age of account holders and flag accounts for parental consent if they determine a user is younger than 16,” he stated in a news release. “If a social media platform violates this law, they will be subject to civil penalties under the Indiana Deceptive Consumer Sales Act.”
He said the family of an Indiana teenager supported the bill and attended the bill signing.
Hailey Buzbee “tragically lost her life after meeting up with a stranger she met on social media.”
“This legislation sends a clear message that we are going to do everything in our power to protect Hoosier kids online,” Raatz said.
Buzbee went missing in January after talking online to a stranger. She died in Ohio, according to WFYI.
Ohio passed a similar law to Indiana’s, but it is currently being blocked by a federal judge while litigation proceeds.
