Why Some State’s Stricter Laws Are Creating a Threat of Trafficking for Others
WASHINGTON, D.C., As large events and expanding industries draw thousands of new visitors, a new study by Shared Hope International finds states like North Dakota and Montana enacted aggressive laws to confront the heightened threat of child sex trafficking while states like California continue to suffer critical gaps in state laws to address the crime.
In North Dakota, the booming oil industry drew over 100,000 new employees, primarily men, away from home, for high-paying jobs. This surge of men with disposable incomes in an area that is disproportionately male-dominate threatened to fuel an emerging commercial sex industry. According to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Report, violent crime, including murder, aggravated assault, forcible rape, and robbery, increased by 125% between 2005 and 2013 in the area. In 2011, Shared Hope International gave North Dakota an “F” grade on the Protected Innocence Challenge report cards for the sufficiency of state laws to combat child sex trafficking–leaving the state vulnerable to a wave of potential buyers with limited ability to deter the crime and protect victims. However, in 2015, North Dakota bolstered its protective provisions for child sex trafficking victims. This year, North Dakota earned a “B” on the Protected Innocence Challenge report card.
Montana, also vulnerable to the threat of increased trafficking due to its proximity to the Bakken region, overhauled its laws in 2015 to address the issue. Montana earned a mere 60 per cent on the 2014 Protected Innocence Challenge report card. After the sweeping legislative advancements in 2015, Montana climbed to a 90 per cent, and is now one of only six states in the nation to earn an “A” grade.
In contrast, California has consistently fallen in last place in the Protected Innocence Challenge–climbing from 41 per cent to 65 per cent between 2011 and 2015. The state struggles to overcome a difficult fiscal environment and a federal mandate banning an increase in criminal statutes. This limits the state’s ability to enact tougher laws that would impose increased penalties or felony convictions, actions that could cause fiscal triggers. In response, activists have developed work-around solutions, reprogramming state efforts to target system responses. However, as California prepares to host the 2016 Super Bowl, the state has not improved its laws to handle an increase in trafficking crimes, especially demand. Increasing the population of men who could be commercial sex consumers, compounded by weak state laws to deter the crime could entice traffickers to the region to meet the demand for this illicit business.
“As states strengthen laws, enabling more aggressive investigation and prosecution; traffickers may be searching for states with lower risk and greater tolerance. We cannot afford to leave our children vulnerable to traffickers because the state hasn’t caught up to the crime.” Linda Smith, President and Founder of Shared Hope International said.
The Protected Innocence Challenge was created to address key legislative gaps and makes recommendations for improvement so states can strengthen laws and implement effective state response. See all state grades at www.sharedhope.org/reportcards.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Taryn Offenbacher
Communications Director
703.351.8062 office / 602.818.3955 cell
Taryn@sharedhope.org
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For media convenience, a variety of video clips and resources, including sex trafficking survivor comments, are available at this location: https://vimeo.com/user12564384/videos. Videos are password protected, please enter password sharedmedia1 to access media clips.
Shared Hope International is an anti-trafficking organization focusing on prevention, restoration and justice for victims of sex trafficking. Founded in 1998 by Congresswoman Linda Smith, Shared Hope is a trusted leader for training, research, restorative development, and legislative development
As a federal prosecutor serving as the Special Litigation Counsel with the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, Richmond has investigated and prosecuted numerous victim-centered labor and sex trafficking cases throughout the United States. He frequently serves as an expert on human trafficking for the United Nation’s Working Group on Trafficking in Persons and at the European Union’s multilateral meetings on human trafficking. He has trained judges, prosecutors, federal agents, law enforcement officers, non-governmental organizations, and international delegations on human trafficking investigative and prosecutorial strategies. Prior to joining the Department of Justice, John worked on human trafficking crimes as the Director of the International Justice Mission’s slavery work in India.
Sandi Pierce, Founder and President of Othayonih Research, is a leader in exposing, addressing, and preventing domestic sex trafficking of American Indian, Alaska Native, and other girls of color. Her report, Shattered Hearts: The commercial sexual exploitation of American Indian women and girls in Minnesota was the first research published in the United States on the impact of this issue on Native communities. As a nationally recognized doctor of applied sociology, she contributes new research on emerging issues including the commercial sexual exploitation of Native women and girls (Shattered Hearts; New Language: Old Problem) and trafficking markets (Mapping the Market). Dr. Pierce draws on her experience as a survivor of sex trafficking to elevate the voice of survivor leaders in the national discussion on sex trafficking. She is of Onondowagah (Seneca) descent.
Sheriff Tom Dart launched revolutionary efforts to tackle the child sex trafficking industry through a campaign of advocacy and education illustrating the use of the online classified giant, Backpage.com, to promote this industry. In July 2015, Sheriff Dart asked credit card companies, Visa and MasterCard, to join him in his fight against child sex trafficking by removing their cards as payment options on Backpage.com. Within days, both credit cards were no longer available for use on Backpage.com. Though efforts to pressure Backpage.com to shut down the adult entertainment section have continued for years, Sheriff Dart’s fresh approach of educating the credit card companies and their resulting withdrawal impacted the child sex trafficking market and Backpage.com’s bottom line – stirring them to respond.
