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