A new bill in the Nevada Legislature would require sex traffickers who try to lure juveniles (or law enforcement disguised as children) to serve prison time, allowing them to escape prison. close the loopholes in
Senate Bill 89 would force the perpetrator to serve a prison sentence if caught by law enforcement, and the younger the child, the harsher the penalties. According to FOX 5 Las Vegas, the law specifically adds penalties for perpetrators who speak to law enforcement officers posing as minor children.
According to the bill, sex traffickers suspected of trying to lure children over the Internet face a class A felony, life imprisonment, and a minimum parole term of five to 15 years.
The minimum sentence perpetrators face is conditional depending on the age of the sex trafficking victim, or the age of the child being posed by law enforcement officers.
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Since 2007, the National Trafficking in Persons Hotline has received 4,408 calls from people in need of help in Nevada.
(Robert Nickelsberg)
Republican state senator Heidi Sievers Gunthert said, “The younger the person is, or the more they believe they are, the harsher the penalties will be.”
She added: “It is well known that young people are lured into trafficking at a very early age and we want to do everything we can to make sure there are serious penalties.
The new law also doubles the application period for assistance from the Crime Victims Fund from 24 months to 48 months.
“These funds can be used for housing, education, childcare, all sorts of different things to help them get back on their feet. And ultimately, that’s what we want… for the healing process.” and have extra time,” said Sievers-Gansert.
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Nevada has one of the highest rates of sex trafficking in the nation, and agencies across the state are expanding resources available to victims throughout January, Human Trafficking Awareness Month .
The Internet has made it easier to talk to people. Some predators use accessibility to lure underage victims.
(ISSOUF SANOGO/AFP via Getty Images)
According to FOX Las Vegas, the National Trafficking Hotline has received 4,408 calls since 2007 from people in need in Nevada.
A third of victims are exploited through hotels, the hotline told the outlet.
The bill has bipartisan support.
