Posted on 12/08/2008 12:02:23 PM PST by CE2949BB
Eight months ago, a Media News series detailed in shocking fashion how Oakland has become a booming hub for child prostitution. The Oakland Police Department found that during a 36-month period alone, 293 children under age 18 were being prostituted by at least 155 pimps.
Of course, the trafficking of children isn't just an Oakland problem. A recent nationwide FBI sting targeting child prostitution ensnared 642 suspects in 29 cities. Forty-seven children were rescued, ranging in age from 13 to 17.
It is a stomach-churning example of the law of supply and demand. Adults are willing to pay hundreds of dollars to have sex with children. If they weren't willing to pay $200 for such an encounter, pimps wouldn't be able to prostitute minors. The younger the child, the more he or she fetches.
Unfortunately, the Internet has made it even easier for Johns to arrange sex with children under the radar of authorities.
We applaud Assemblyman Sandre Swanson, D-Alameda, for taking the lead in fighting this scourge.
In September, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed into law Swanson's AB 499, which required authorities to begin treating child prostitutes as the victims that they are, rather than as criminals.
That law, which will take effect Jan. 1, launched a pilot program in Alameda County to train authorities to deal with child prostitutes as victims and also requires them to send exploited children to social service agencies that can help them, rather than to juvenile hall.
Now, Swanson has introduced twin bills aimed at the predators: The peddlers of child sex and their customers.
AB 16, the "Human Trafficking Penalties Act" would increase the penalties for pimping, trafficking or paying money for children for sexual purposes. The law would upgrade those offenses to serious felonies, which means they would count as strikes under California's three-strikes law.
Meanwhile, AB 17, the "Human Trafficking Accountability Act" would hit pimps and Johns in their pockets.
That law would allow judges to impose fines ranging from $200 to $250,000 on people convicted of prostituting minors or buying sex from them. Most importantly, it would allow judges to confiscate and sell the property of those found guilty.
One can only hope that these stronger sanctions will deter some of those who might be tempted to engage in these crimes.
We urge the Legislature to pass both laws to help in the fight against this shameful epidemic.
--MediaNews Group
They won’t pass bills that actually help the innocent.
I'd rather "hit" them in the back of the head... with, say, a .357 magnum round... sending, of course, a bill for the bullet to their family.
How about we hit these scum bags wher eit really hurts. LIke in their head and/or chest with some hot lead. Sick bastards!
Calling Charles Bronson!?
there was a story here by a lib woman who wroet in SF paper about moving to Oakland then moving out due to crime. She tried to blame everything but the real cause. People posted messages to the story in SF Chron saying people attack oakland unfairly etc.
Typical liberal denial of reality and lets not enforce the law because it might be racist etc.
Probably one of those. :)
Yes, but the person’s family will be “paying the freight”, and the effect of the .357 is so... well, spectacular!
;^)
BUMP!
Um...Anybody else bothered by this?
Human Trafficking Accountability Act
In addition, this bill would authorize the court to impound any personal property used in the course of that unlawful conduct for a period of up to 60 days. If the person has previously been convicted of one of those offenses, the court would be authorized to order any personal property used in the course of committing the violation forfeited, pursuant to specified procedures. If real property is used in a violation of those provisions, the bill would apply to that property existing provisions of law declaring property used for illegal purposes to be a nuisance.
Unrelated to property, but interesting:
This bill would authorize local law enforcement agencies to make public or make available to media outlets the name and photograph of any person who is convicted pursuant to the above provisions.
The link above contains the bill itself and the digest.
In a nutshell: it seems only property used in the commission of the crime is at risk.
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