Two legislators familiar to media execs have introduced House and Senate versions of a bill to combat online child exploitation, saying it would reverse "a decade of underfunding key enforcement and prevention efforts." 

The Invest in Child Safety Act, from Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.) and Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), would provide $5 billion in "mandatory funding" to investigate online pedophiles who create and share child pornography online and to fund programs to keep children from becoming victims. 

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It would create an Office to Enforce and Protect Against Child Sexual Exploitation, within the White House Executive Office of the President to coordinate efforts across federal agencies. They say that is needed after the Department of Justice declined to do such coordination and reporting as directed in a 2008 law. 

They say the DOJ has cut more than $60 million from child exploitation prevention programs while trying to create encryption backdoors that could weaken online security for everyone. 

“Dogged reporting put a spotlight on the failures of the executive branch and Congress to respond to disgusting crimes against children that are shared online,” Wyden said in a statement. “Our bill will finally provide agencies with enough investigators and prosecutors to confront this menace, fund the organizations who help protect at-risk kids from becoming victims, and provide aid to survivors.” 

The bill would:  

1. "Quadruple the number of prosecutors and agents in DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section from 30 FTEs to 120 FTEs; 

2. "Add 100 new agents and investigators for the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Innocent Images National Initiative, Crimes Against Children Unit, Child Abduction Rapid Deployment Teams, and Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Forces; 

3. "Fund 65 new NCMEC analysts, engineers, and mental health counselors, as well as a major upgrade to NCMEC’s technology platform to enable the organization to more effectively evaluate and process CSAM reports from tech companies; 

4. "Double funding for the state Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Forces;  

5. "Double funding for the National Criminal Justice Training Center, to administer crucial Internet Crimes Against Children and Missing and Exploited Children training programs;

6. "Increase funding for evidence-based programs, local governments and non-federal entities to detect, prevent and support victims of child sexual abuse, including school-based mental health services and prevention programs like the Children’s Advocacy Centers and the HHS’ Street Outreach Program;   

7. "Require tech companies to increase the time that they hold evidence of CSAM, in a secure database, to enable law enforcement agencies to prosecute older cases;  

8. "Establish an Office to Enforce and Protect Against Child Sexual Exploitation, within the Executive Office of the President, to direct and streamline the federal government’s efforts to prevent, investigate and prosecute the scourge of child exploitation; 

9. "Require the Office to develop an enforcement and protection strategy, in coordination with HHS and GAO; and  

10. "Require the Office to submit annual monitoring reports, subject to mandatory Congressional testimony to ensure timely execution."

“The technology industry is committed to working together with law enforcement to protect children online,” said Jason Oxman, president of tech association ITI. “The Invest in Child Safety Act is another welcome step to strengthen our ability to prevent and prosecute online child sexual abuse. This measure would take meaningful and focused action to address these vile criminal acts by providing additional resources for law enforcement, thereby enabling more robust response to the millions of reports of abusive material technology companies make to authorities every day.”

Fusion will look to expand its original programming portfolio with the launch of several documentary series and specials over the next few months.

Among the new docu-series slated for the network is The Cannabusiness Report, a four-part series revolving around the cannabis culture and industry premiering in August; The Chair, which follows the work of two first time film directors also debuting in August; My Selfie Life, a 10-episode series premiering in October in which young people film themselves living their lives; and Drug Wars: Season 2, a weekly series that chronicles the reality of international anti-narcotics operations, said network officials.

Other documentaries/specials include Miami Porn: Sex Work in the Sunshine State, premiering Sunday which follows the new entrepreneurial pornographers of Miami and how they’re changing the adult entertainment industry; Number One with a Bullet, (debuting Aug. 2) which pulls back the curtain on gun violence in hip-hop America; The Thread (Aug. 23) which exposes the impact amateur internet writers are having on journalism; The Search for Sexy (Aug. 25) in which podcaster Sandra Daugherty look at what makes someone sexy; Drone Nation (Sept. 1) which examines how drone technology is changing the way we see the world; and Top Spin (Oct. 3) which features three teenagers battling their way through the world of competitive ping pong.

Three shows that have yet to be scheduled include Tom Felton Meets the Superfans, which follows actor Tom Felton (Harry Potter) as he seeks insight into the world of superfans and celebrity; The Drug Warriors, which follows the lives of those battling the drug war on different frontline; and Can You Dig This, which takes an inside look at the urban garden movement in South L.A. said network officials.

“We know our audience has an insatiable hunger for thought provoking entertainment. Fusion is committed to showcasing stories that take our audience on journeys to worlds that they may not ordinarily be exposed to,” said Fusion chief programming officer Wade Beckett said in a statement. “We are continuing to double down on content that resonates with our diverse audience. This slate of original series, documentaries, and specials nicely complements our existing news and topical-comedy offerings.”

Netflix has acquired worldwide rights to the porn-themed documentary Hot Girls Wanted, the network said Sunday.

The film, which debuted at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival, explores the world of professional “amateur” porn and the steady stream of  young girls who cycle through it, said company officials.

Hot Girls Wanted is directed by Jill Bauer and Ronna Gradus and produced by Rashida Jones, Bauer, Gradus and Brittany Huckabee, who also serves as writer/editor. The film will debut later this year, according to Netflix.

“Jill and Ronna have exposed a shocking world of hope and heartbreak,” said Erik Barmack, Netflix vice president of Global Independent Content in a statement. “The filmmakers gained unprecedented access into a world never documented until now, and we are proud to bring their unflinching work to a global audience.”

Vivid Entertainment is looking to gain a linear lay of the land on The Continent next month.

The adult film company said it will launch VividTV Europe on Nov. 1, supplementing its traditional erotic fare with the highest-quality European content available.

News of the European service comes on the heels of last week’s announcement of a Vivid partnership with adult broadcaster Sex-Shop Television Inc. north of the border, where it will rebrand its Vanessa TV to VividTV Canada on Oct. 28.

Led by Tony Cochi, executive vice president worldwide distribution of VividTV, and Stephen Walter, senior vice president of business development for Canada and Europe, the new linear channel, will be available on Astra 1L 19.2° East as well as via fiber, and will complement Vivid’s extant European video on-demand distribution.  

Bill Asher, co-chairman of Vivid Entertainment, said distribution deals with several major European operators will be announced shortly.

VividTV launched its 24/7 linear channel in 2013 and the company said the network quickly became the top-performing adult service in over 70 million homes across North and South America.  Vivid extended its U.S. service to Europe in April of this year. 

“In order for any channel to truly be successful it must have a local flavor and appeal to the constituency of the territory,” Asher said. “VividTV Europe is designed specifically for the European market. The channel will deliver the most popular content in Europe, both through acquisitions as well as programming from Vivid Entertainment, owner of the largest single adult studio archive.”

The porn purveyor said European viewers will see exclusive, never-before-seen footage from the Vivid Celeb line, which includes sexually explicit videos starring Kim Kardashian, Tila Tequila, Pamela Anderson, Kendra Wilkinson, Montana Fishburne, among others, plus pop icon superhero parodies, award-winning series like Brand New Faces and 100% Real Swingers and genre features.