Following her notable success in establishing tougher criminal penalties for child sex traffickers, Republican Senator Shannon Grove has introduced legislation to lengthen prison sentences for those who purchase or engage in child prostitution.
After a dramatic change of heart last year by Assembly Democrats, Grove won bipartisan support in the Democratic-dominated Legislature on a bill that reclassified child sex trafficking from a misdemeanor to a felony. .
“This year, district attorneys across the state have said this law has allowed them to prosecute these traffickers,” Grove said, referring to his “landmark” bill that went into effect Jan. 1.
But he said that was just one piece of the puzzle.
This week, the Bakersfield Republican joined Sens. Susan Rubio (D-Baldwin Park) and Anna Caballero (D-Salinas) to introduce Senate Bill 1414, which targets the solicitation of child prostitution.
“It takes two offenders to commit a sex trafficking crime,” he said. “The seller, as we addressed last year, and this year, the buyer.”
The current law does not go far enough, Grove said, adding that adults who buy a child for sex can only be charged with a misdemeanor. Often, a person convicted of purchasing child sex will receive a maximum sentence of six months in jail, the Santa Barbara County district deputy said. Lawyer. Tyson McCoy.
“I don't think people understand how rampant child buying is in the state of California,” McCoy told reporters, adding that most convicts will serve less than full time because they are entitled to credits that reduce their sentences.
Matt SotoRosen, deputy public defender with the San Francisco Public Defenders Office, said his office is likely to oppose this bill as it did last year.
“In general, my office opposes policies that date back to the 1990s and old prison policies,” he told the Times, questioning whether the increased penalties will serve as a deterrent.
Grove said he is hopeful that this time he can reduce the unexpected divisions his bill caused last year.
During a turn of events last July, Grove's bill to combat child sex trafficking passed the state Senate but stalled in the Assembly Public Safety Committee. Democrats disagreed over whether the bill would have unintended consequences by also criminalizing victims. Criminal justice advocates were also cautious about whether this bill would increase mass incarceration.
The Democrats' opposition sparked an avalanche of criticism and unfounded accusations on social media, and one lawmaker even said she had received death threats. Gov. Gavin Newsom and Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas (D-Salinas) also publicly urged the public safety committee to consider a new vote. The committee eventually reconvened and approved it in the second round.
