Retired NFL quarterback and Tim Tebow Foundation founder Tim Tebow emphasizes the need for increased resources to combat child abuse and exploitation on “The Ingraham Angle.” The former Heisman Trophy winner testified at a House Judiciary Subcommittee hearing on child trafficking on Tuesday.

LAURA INGRAHAM, FOX NEWS: Turns out we don’t have to travel to Iran to see heartbreaking violations of human rights. It’s happening right here in the United States every day, at the evil hands of cartels, criminal gangs and other twisted freaks. And the targets range from toddlers to teens. A repeat sex offender in Maryland pleading guilty to making and distributing child porn. In Alabama, five men were just busted in a child sex trafficking ring. And in New York, a 57 year old man was charged with possessing graphic images and videos of child sex abuse. That’s just from this week. So data from the Internet Watch Foundation reveals that 2025 was the worst year on record for depictions of online child sexual abuse. And the sad truth is, of course, we have no idea how many children are being exploited and victimized in America. But we do know it’s a global curse. And with some cultures even defending the abuse, let’s never forget the rapes of boys in Afghanistan. But what more can be done here at home? Well, Tim Tebow’s foundation has been dedicated to helping identify the now 89000 victims of child pornography and other online exploitation currently sitting, by the way, in federal databases. And Tim was back on the Hill today. TIM TEBOW: We have to do a whole lot more and we have to do it faster because every day we wait, they’re suffering, they’re crying. And I believe right now many of them are praying that we would respond. INGRAHAM: Former NFL star, I guess he’s a sports commentator, Gator Tim Tebow is here in studio. Tim, thank you for joining us. This is so infuriating to me. It’s so heartbreaking. Some of these kids are barely out of diapers. Oh, a lot of them aren’t. I mean, what needs to happen to stop this and to track down the identity of those perpetrators and the victims? TIM TEBOW: A whole lot needs to happen. I would say number one is that we got to create a bigger army that is fighting this. Right now at C3, the Cybercrime Center, they’re just some of the best in the world, but there’s only 10 victim identification specialists there. And you’re telling me that it’s 10 people’s job to identify 89000. That is impossible for them to do. And they’re the best. I was there this morning. They’re incredible. I love them so much. But we got to create a bigger army that is trained with the right technology and equipped to be able to fight against this evil because it is a one of the fastest growing crime types in the world. A few years ago when we were testifying, that number was at 57,000. Now it’s at 89,000. And that’s what thousands of boys and girls that have been identified with the amazing law enforcement and the NGOs and nonprofits that are working against it, and it’s still that high. And that’s just one database. That’s just ICSA database from Interpol. There’s also CAID, there’s Australian, there’s HSI database, there’s FBI database. There’s so many databases. And one thing we also need to do is have them work together so that they can have an international treaty that leads to a deconfliction so you can actually get all the ground truth. INGRAHAM: Well, AI is a big problem when it comes to this issue. Very briefly explain how. TEBOW: Well, AI is a problem when you’re having boys and girls that are getting abused and raped. I hate to even call it child porn because that’s not what it is. It’s child abuse and it’s child rape. And so what they’re doing to be able to throw off the investigators is they’re putting AI in it, but it’s also with a real boy or girl. So they will AI a hand or put a bunny or something else that’s in the, so that the technology will say, no, this is AI, to be able to throw the investigators off of their tracks. That’s also why we need the best technology and the best training for the investigators. INGRAHAM: How did you get into this issue? I mean, everyone has a charity when they’re like, yo, this is my foundation, but why this issue? TEBOW: Well, because I believe it’s what God’s called me to. And it started a long time ago when my dad was overseas and they were selling boys and girls and he couldn’t help it. And he purchased the freedom of that started it for four little girls. And I knew that it’s one of the worst evils in the world and we have to do so much more. But I think one of the things is that not an accurate perspective and perception is given to this. This isn’t just happening around the world. It’s happening in every neighborhood right here in America. Like out of all those that have been identified and safeguarded from the operation renewed hopes just under half are right here in the U S this is happening. And the number one offender and people don’t like it when I say this, but we have to tell the truth that we have to get accurate picture. The number one offender is biological fathers and men have to step up and stand up and be them in that we’re called and created to be to protect, not exploit. And it’s going to start at the home. INGRAHAM: This is demonic. TEBOW: It is. It’s a battle of good and evil. INGRAHAM: Yeah. So this ultimately is a spiritual battle and you’re seeing this play out across culture, you know, morphing sexuality, morphing, you know, traditional roles of for families. So this is, this is bigger than just this one issue. But do you feel the, the, the, do you feel the, that God is calling you to fight at this moment and this, and do you feel the forces against you? Because the closer you get to solving something, the more I, my view, the devil comes at you. TEBOW: Yes and yes. But I also would believe this would be one of the biggest reasons why I’m created with the little strength that I have wasn’t to carry a football, to be able to lift up these image bearers of our creator and bring them to a place of protection of hope and love. And when people actually really see the boys and girls that go through this you can’t never unsee it. And so many times when we just talk away when we, because it makes people uncomfortable, it is uncomfortable, but compassion is also uncomfortable. You, I do not believe that you can have a life of comfort and compassion at the same time because compassion literally means to be moved from your most inward parts. It is uncomfortable, but we have to be willing to be uncomfortable one day so that these boys and girls can be comfortable. INGRAHAM: It is incredibly inspiring and I’ll help you in any way I can. TEBOW: Thank you.

Watch his opening statement in his testimony to Congress:
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