Senator Shannon Grove (R-Bakersfield) authored Senate Bill 14, which would include sex trafficking of a minor in the list of crimes that are defined as serious under California law, making the crime a strike under the Three Strikes law. If passed, SB 14 will help strengthen protections for thousands of sex trafficking victims. SB 14 is a bipartisan piece of legislation that passed unanimously through the Senate and has garnered the support of 60 co-authors. In mid-late August, the measure will have a hearing in the Assembly Appropriations Committee. If passed, the measure will move to the Assembly floor for a final vote.
“Human trafficking is happening every day in our backyard and those committing this horrific act deserve to be held accountable,” said Senator Grove. “I am grateful for the continued efforts by law enforcement to save countless innocent children from this brutal crime. SB 14 would ensure repeat offenders of child sex trafficking are put behind bars, where they cannot continue to cause pain, suffering and life-long trauma.”
ABC 7 San Francisco reported that the FBI, along with Bay Area county district attorneys announced a human trafficking bust Wednesday that rescued 200 victims, including 59 minors.
“Operation Cross Country, a nationwide effort to combat human trafficking, resulted in the identification or arrest of more than five dozen suspected human traffickers and more than 100 individuals accused of child sexual exploitation. Seventeen individual operations were recently conducted over a two-week period. Locally, agents arrested nine offenders. Three Bay Area Juvenile victims were recovered and another was identified.
“… The FBI says the operation successfully rescued a total of 200 victims of human trafficking and located 59 minor victims of sex trafficking and sexual exploitation.
“Contra Costa District Attorney Diana Becton says California consistently leads all other states in reports of human trafficking to the National Human Trafficking Resource Center, accounting for 13% of all reports in the last year.
“… The Bay Area Operation Cross Country efforts also rescued 17 adult victims of human trafficking. Three illegally owned guns were also seized.”
Click here to read more of the report from ABC 7 San Francisco.
Click here to learn more about Senator Grove’s SB 14.