One year ago I went public with my deepest secret, that I am a survivor of childhood sexual abuse. Since that time I've started ToPrevail.org which is dedicated to improving the lives of my fellow survivors. 

According to the CDC, 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys will suffer abuse by the time they turn 18. 

Last year I lobbied for a bill that would have modestly increased the statute of limitations. It passed the House but was killed in a Senate committee by a lawmaker who stated, "We have to protect the 1% who are falsely accused." 

Undeterred, I'm back with a new, more comprehensive bill, HB1468.

House Bill 1468 will give survivors until the age of 45, instead of 31, the opportunity to seek justice by extending the statute of limitations. That extra time is needed because of the unique trauma that abuse survivors suffer from. The vast majority of sexual abuse is committed by either family or friends of the family. It’s much easier to report a stranger who’s stolen your purse than it is to report a person you loved and respected for murdering your soul. Doing that can literally take decades.

As for the name of the bill, The Hidden Predator Act, that comes from a similar bill passed in another state which revealed roughly 300 previously unknown perpetrators when their victims finally had the statute of limitations on their side. So by supporting this bill, you’ll not only be helping past victims heal, you’ll be helping kids out there who are being victimized right now.

As for discouraging false claims, this bill would make that a felony. There can be no tolerance for someone who would lie about this crime, since lies not only harm the falsely accused, but also impugn the credibility of the 99.9% of legitimate claims.