After her noteworthy success in establishing harsher legal penalties for little one intercourse traffickers, Republican Sen. Shannon Grove has launched laws to elongate jail phrases for many who buy or interact in little one prostitution.
After a dramatic change of coronary heart final yr by Meeting Democrats, Grove received bipartisan help within the Democrat-dominated Legislature on a invoice that reclassified little one intercourse trafficking from a misdemeanor to a severe felony.
“This yr, I’ve had district attorneys from throughout the state say that this regulation has allowed them to prosecute these traffickers,” Grove mentioned referencing her “historic” invoice that went into impact Jan. 1.
However she mentioned that was only one piece of the puzzle.
This week, the Bakersfield Republican joined with Sens. Susan Rubio (D-Baldwin Park) and Anna Caballero (D-Salinas) to introduce Senate Invoice 1414, which targets the solicitation of kid prostitution.
“It takes two criminals to commit a criminal offense of intercourse trafficking,” she mentioned. “The vendor, like we addressed final yr, and this yr, the client.”
Present regulation doesn’t go far sufficient, Grove mentioned, including that adults who purchase a toddler for intercourse can solely be charged with a misdemeanor. Typically, an individual convicted of buying little one intercourse will get a most punishment of six months in jail, mentioned Santa Barbara County Deputy Dist. Atty. Tyson McCoy.
“I don’t assume individuals perceive how unchecked the shopping for of kids is within the state of California,” McCoy instructed reporters, including that almost all convicted individuals will serve lower than full time as a result of they’re entitled to credit that scale back their sentences.
Matt SotoRosen, a deputy public defender on the San Francisco Public Defenders Workplace, mentioned his workplace is prone to oppose this invoice because it did final yr.
“Basically my workplace is against insurance policies that return to the Nineties and the previous carceral insurance policies,” he instructed the Instances, questioning whether or not rising penalties will function a deterrent.
Grove mentioned she is hopeful that this time round she will be able to curtail the surprising rifts that her invoice prompted final yr.
Throughout a twist of occasions final July, Grove’s invoice cracking down on little one intercourse trafficking handed the state Senate however stalled within the Meeting Public Security Committee. Democrats had been at odds over whether or not the invoice would have unintended penalties by additionally criminalizing the victims. Felony justice advocates had been additionally cautious over whether or not this invoice would add to mass incarceration.
The opposition by the Democrats triggered a flurry of criticism and unfounded allegations on social media, and one lawmaker even mentioned she obtained loss of life threats. Gov. Gavin Newsom and Meeting Chief Robert Rivas (D-Salinas) additionally publicly urged for the general public security committee to contemplate a brand new vote. The committee finally reconvened and handed it on the second go-around.
