Supervisors ask the state to stiffen penalties for predators soliciting sex from children

As part of an ongoing effort

against sex trafficking of children,

the Los Angeles County

Board of Supervisors Tuesday

called on state legislators to

dramatically stiffen penalties

for adults convicted of soliciting

and having sex with children.

Acting on a motion sponsored

by Supervisors Mark

Ridley-Thomas and Don

Knabe, the board asked the

state to substantially raise fines

so that California becomes the

most expensive state in the

nation in which to be convicted

of soliciting sex from children.

The same motion also calls for

improved services and treatment

for the victims.

Several speakers addressed

the board about the ongoing

problem of child sex trafficking

and the challenges of cracking

down on so-called “Johns,”

including District Attorney

Jackie Lacey, Long Beach

Police Chief Jim McDonnell,

Compton Mayor Aja Brown,

the head of the LA County

Probation Department’s sex

trafficking unit Michelle Guymon

as well as a survivor, Jessica

Midkiff. Midkiff said she

was groomed for work on the

streets at age 11 and escaped

shortly before turning 21.

“This motion represents a

change in our view as to who

are the true victims of these

crimes and who are the true

criminals,” said Lacey. “This

motion addresses the market.

That “John” who is out there

trolling for a child should be

treated more harshly by the

system. If you are out there

specifically looking for sex

with a child you should not be

treated as if you’re out there

looking for sex with an adult.”

Chairman Ridley-Thomas

announced that California State

Senator Darrell Steinberg,

Assemblywoman Holly Mitchell

and Assemblyman Ted Lieu

have indicated their support

for a state bill addressing the

demand side of child sex trafficking.

In addition, in accordance

with a request from the

Los Angeles District Attorney,

the motion asks that the law be

amended so that not knowing a

victim’s age cannot be used as a

legal defense.

“When adults engage in sexual

acts with children it should

be called what it is: statutory

rape,” said Supervisor Ridley-

Thomas. “These are children,

and children cannot consent.

There have been strong efforts

to appropriately punish sex traffickers,

and there are efforts

afoot to provide more services

and treatment to the victims –

mostly girls. But what’s missing

from this equation are efforts

to halt the demand for these

children and meaningful consequences

for their predators;

that’s what we’re doing today.”

Supervisor Knabe said: “We

have a good opportunity now,

as the new legislative season

in Sacramento is gearing up,

to continue to promote awareness

of this horrific crime and

develop effective legislation to

help the victims and go after the

scumbags who purchase and

sell girls for sex,” he said. “We

must address the “demand”

side of this crime and make the

penalties severe enough so that

these “Johns” don’t continue

to be nameless and free of any

criminal record, while the girls

are criminalized. No 12-yearold

little girl is choosing this life

and we must do everything we

can to protect them.”

Every day, children – primarily

girls – as young as 10

years-old are being coerced

and sold into prostitution in Los

Angeles County and in counties

throughout the state. According

to experts in the field, the

average life expectancy of these

children once they enter the

sex trade is seven years, due

to the ravages of HIV/AIDS

and the violence to which they

are regularly subjected. At the

low end, a victim could make

$3,500 a week while some victims

earn as much as $1,000 a

day, making child sex trafficking

a highly lucrative business

increasingly run by gangs.

“Like narcotics, we’re seeing

the proliferation of sex

trafficking being put forth by

the gangs. We’re seeing girls

as young as nine or 10,” said

McDonnell. “The pimps set the

minimum for them to make,

they stay out there until they

do or they’re beaten.”

The men who solicit sex

from children, however, often

are not arrested and prosecuted,

and even when they are,

typically face only a proverbial

slap on the wrist. The motion,

asks lawmakers to amend the

state penal code to make soliciting

sex with a minor a felony.

It also requires the “customers”

to register as sex offenders

and increases the fine from

$1,000 to $10,000. It calls on law

enforcement to refocus its priorities

and actively arrest and

prosecute these predators.

“The buyers of sex can be

anyone,” said Guymon. “They

are professionals, tourists, the

diversity of buyers allows them

to blend into our communities.

The majority are men, usually

they are married, hold a good

job and have an average to high

IQ.”

Evidence suggests that

predators are seeking to have

sex with younger girls who are

perceived to be both healthier

and more vulnerable.

Helping the survivors and

changing the perception of

young girls who are trafficked

is essential, said Midkiff.

“For every teenage girl

there were 20 adult customers

per night who were purchasing

her. This equals up to 140

customers per week for one

single girl,” she said. “As long

as sex buyers are prowling the

streets and lurking in the internet

demanding sex without any

perceived consequences, we

will not curtail this problem.”

Contact: Lorenza Munoz,

213-458-6279

Ema i l : lmu n o z@b o s .

lacounty.gov