Human Trafficking In California
Voters in California sent a clear and strong message to human traffickers and their victims when they elected to impose severe sentences on those convicted of the crime on the November 6, 2012 ballot. 81.1 percent of voters approved of Proposition 35, Human Trafficking. Penalties. Initiative Statute, which intended to bring state human trafficking laws up to par with federal laws.
Under federal law, a convicted sex trafficker receives a sentence of 15 years to life in prison, whereas under California law the same crime receives a sentence up to 8 years. The Federal Trafficking Victims Protection Act generally defines two types of human trafficking: Sex Trafficking and Labor Trafficking. Federal law punishes human trafficking of adults undertaken for the purpose of providing a commercial sex when it is induced by force or fraud. It also punishes trafficking by force or fraud to provide labor or other services, forcing an undocumented immigrant to work for free under threat of deportation, for example. State law contains similar criminal prohibitions against human trafficking, but in California, the burden of proof for sex trafficking of minors is the same as for adults, which is …show more content…
The people who are for Proposition 35 say that sexual trafficking is the fastest-growing criminal enterprise in the world. Supporters also point out that according to the FBI, California is home to three of the highest child sex trafficking areas in the nation, Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego. As a result, California needs to put more of their focus to prevent this especially when victims as young as 10 are being brought into it. Also, California’s laws on sexual trafficking are not as strict as they need to be. In a national study, California was given an ‘F’ on our sex trafficking laws. On a moral level, those who support this proposition believe these criminals must be held accountable for the severity of their
Under federal law, a convicted sex trafficker receives a sentence of 15 years to life in prison, whereas under California law the same crime receives a sentence up to 8 years. The Federal Trafficking Victims Protection Act generally defines two types of human trafficking: Sex Trafficking and Labor Trafficking. Federal law punishes human trafficking of adults undertaken for the purpose of providing a commercial sex when it is induced by force or fraud. It also punishes trafficking by force or fraud to provide labor or other services, forcing an undocumented immigrant to work for free under threat of deportation, for example. State law contains similar criminal prohibitions against human trafficking, but in California, the burden of proof for sex trafficking of minors is the same as for adults, which is …show more content…
The people who are for Proposition 35 say that sexual trafficking is the fastest-growing criminal enterprise in the world. Supporters also point out that according to the FBI, California is home to three of the highest child sex trafficking areas in the nation, Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego. As a result, California needs to put more of their focus to prevent this especially when victims as young as 10 are being brought into it. Also, California’s laws on sexual trafficking are not as strict as they need to be. In a national study, California was given an ‘F’ on our sex trafficking laws. On a moral level, those who support this proposition believe these criminals must be held accountable for the severity of their