The passage of House Bill 545 in 2016 progressively amended the prostitution statute to remove criminal responsibility from child victims of commercial sexual exploitation. By doing so, Florida has established a necessary element of a comprehensive, just response to sex trafficked youth. Additionally, by removing the limitation on the definition of abuse that excluded children who had been charged with prostitution, HB 545 promotes juvenile victims’ access to specialized services through the Department of Children and Families and aligns the treatment of child sex trafficking victims with their status as victims rather than offenders.
Thank you Governor Scott for signing this important bill to prevent child sex trafficking victims from being criminalized for their own victimization and to significantly increase their access to restorative services!
