The state Assembly overwhelmingly approved a bill Friday aimed at cracking down on child prostitution and allowing prosecutors to charge anyone who buys sex from a minor with a felony.
Senate Bill 1414 sponsor Sen. Shannon Grove (R-Bakersfield) said the bill would correct the flawed provision in current law that limits solicitation of a minor to a misdemeanor. Trafficking children for prostitution is already a crime, and this bill, Grove said, closes the loop by allowing people who purchase sex from a minor to also be charged with a felony.
For the record:
7:17 p.m. on August 30, 2024An earlier version of this article stated that the bill had passed the California Legislature. The bill has passed the state Assembly and now heads to the state Senate for a vote.
“I proudly support this measure because the people who commit this disgusting crime must be assured that they will be held accountable for forever damaging the lives of our children,” Rep. Joe Paterson (R-Rocklin) said during a lengthy and emotional testimony to lawmakers Friday night.
The bill now heads to the Senate for a final vote before being sent to the governor’s desk for consideration.
“We know how horrific child sex trafficking is. The unimaginable pain, anguish and heartbreak caused by these cruel acts leave lifelong emotional and physical scars on victims if they are lucky enough to escape alive,” Grove said during a Senate committee hearing on the bill in April. “We have all focused on the traffickers themselves and the brutality of the sale of children. And unfortunately, we have not paid enough attention to the buying side of the equation. We know how supply and demand works. In order to buy and sell a child for sex, there has to be someone willing to buy them.”
Prosecutors say they have several avenues to charge people who buy sex from minors, including minors under the age of 14, and who commit child molestation, rape or attempted child molestation. But legal experts say child purchasing in California is largely “unchecked” and that most people convicted will serve less than their full sentence because they are eligible for time credits that reduce their time served.
The bill specifies that if the victim is under 16, they will be charged with a misdemeanor, meaning they can be charged with a misdemeanor or felony on the first offense and face a sentence of 16 months to three years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000. On a second offense, the person will be charged with a misdemeanor and could face a sentence of up to three years in prison. A person 18 or older who has a prior conviction for soliciting a minor will be required to register as a sex offender if they are 10 years or older than the victim.
Last year, Grove introduced a version of the bill that targets people who traffic children for prostitution. The Democratic-dominated Legislature, which has long fought for less punitive laws, initially did not pass the legislation. But Gov. Gavin Newsom stepped in and asked for a second vote in the Assembly Public Safety Committee. The committee eventually reversed course and passed it. Since its passage, at least two known child trafficking cases have been prosecuted in Monterey and Sacramento counties, according to Grove’s office.
