Sadly, it’s estimated that nearly 300,000 children become victims of labor and sex trafficking in the United States each year, with the average age of prostitution for a child beginning at 13-14 years old.¹ Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) data reveals sex trafficking as the fastest-growing business of organized crime and the third-largest criminal enterprise in the world, with a yearly profit of about $32 billion.^2,3 , These statistics expose an alarming crisis – one that we must do more to stop.

Nothing is worse than a crime committed against a child. Young victims of sexual exploitation should receive treatment and services to assist them in coping with their traumatic abuse as well as to prevent re-victimization. In no way should they be treated as criminals in the eyes of the law. That’s why I supported legislation recently signed into law that grants 16- and 17-year-old victims of sex trafficking the same protection as those currently given to younger victims (Ch. 555 of 2013).

Building on the 2008 Safe Harbour for Exploited Youth Act (Ch. 569 of 2008), this new law establishes equality in how we treat minors who are arrested for alleged acts of prostitution. All sexually exploited youth will now be treated as victims instead of criminals. Under the new law, the court will have the ability to treat 16- and 17-year-old individuals who allegedly engaged in prostitution activity as persons in need of supervision (PINS) and expand the ability for these victims to access vital services. After all they have been through, it’s important that they receive the necessary assistance to prevent them from going back to a life of abuse. The law also provides that if a person younger than 18 years old is convicted of or pleads guilty to a prostitution-related charge, the judge must order a youthful offender adjudication, relieving the individual of a criminal record.

Human trafficking is modern-day slavery and it must be stopped. I’m committed to doing all I can to put an end to it and to helping and protecting those who fall victim to such a heinous act.

1. ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/ojjdp/228631.pdf

2. fbi.gov/stats-services/publications/law-enforcement-bulletin/march_2011/human_sex_trafficking

3. cicatelli.org/titlex/downloadable/Human%20Trafficking%20Statistics.pdf