Racine, along with Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, is leading a bipartisan coalition of 50 state and territorial attorneys general in urging Congress to affirm that all law-enforcement agencies retain their traditional authority to fight sex trafficking. In a letter to Congress , the attorneys general request that Congress amend the Communications Decency Act CDA to affirm that states, localities, and territories retain authority to investigate and prosecute facilitators of child sex trafficking wherever they operate, including online.
The intention of the CDA is to protect children from indecent material online. It never was intended to place facilitators of child sex trafficking outside the reach of law enforcement. However, according to the attorneys general, the CDA is being used as a shield by those who profit from prostitution and crimes against children. In some cases, courts have interpreted certain provisions of the CDA to provide immunity from state prosecution to online classified ad sites, such as Backpage.
It is both ironic and tragic that the CDA, which was intended to protect children from indecent material on the Internet, is now used as a shield by those who profit from prostitution and crimes against children. Federal enforcement alone has proved insufficient to stem the growth in online promotion of child sex trafficking.
Those on the front lines of the battle against the sexual exploitation of children β state and local law enforcement β must have clear authority to investigate and prosecute facilitators of these and other horrible crimes. Staff members from the Office of the Attorney General OAG visit schools to train youth on how to spot the warning signs of human trafficking and how to seek help for themselves and others.
OAG staff members participate in a citywide task force to identify potential cases of human trafficking and connect at-risk children with proper services and supports. August 16, Back to the Newsroom Main Page. Sign up for the OAG eNewsletter.
