The Truth Behind Modern Slavery
Many people, if asked to describe sex trafficking, would paint a picture closely related to the movie Taken, where woman are drugged, moved throughout a foreign country, and sold in an auction against their will. Those involved personally with the issue of sex trafficking, such as victim Kristen Tebow, feel this view skews the public opinion on the industry,
“That perception… the Taken perception hurts the movement and it hurts the education,” said Tebow.
Although this particular circumstance does happen, more than likely situations of sex trafficking occur right in our backyards without our knowledge. The problem then becomes whether or not our definition of sex trafficking is correct.
What is sex trafficking?
Sex trafficking occurs when someone uses force, fraud, or coercion to cause a commercial sex act with an adult or causes a minor to commit a commercial sex act. A Commercial Sex Act includes prostitution, pornography, and sexual performance done in exchange for any item of value, such as money, drugs, shelter, food, or clothes.
Over the past decade, The United States has become increasingly aware of the massive problem that is sex trafficking. Although legislation being enacted to bring justice to those exploited victims of trafficking are still very broad in terms of categories of trafficking, for example, forced labor, sex trafficking, and debt bondage, laws are being brought to the forefront of our national and local government so that victims of sex trafficking will no longer be treated as criminals, but will be given the help and refuge that they need.
It wasn’t until 2000 that Congress passed the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA), which became the first federal law created to ever speak about human trafficking.
In 2013, Gov. Sam Brownback signed a human trafficking bill into law to improve legislation in Kansas that protect trafficking victims.
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Establishes a Human Trafficking Victim Assistance Fund to provide support for those victimized by human trafficking. The fund will be paid for through mandatory fines on people convicted of human trafficking and related sex crimes
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Provides for special Child in Need of Care procedures for children who have been subjected to human trafficking and expedites expungement procedures for those convicted of selling sexual relations if they were subject to coercion
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Creates the crime of “commercial Sexual Exploitation of a Child”, increasing the penalties of the existing crimes of patronizing a prostitute and promoting prostitution of person under the age of 18. Increased penalties and sentencing enhancements are included for a number of other related crimes.
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Allows the Attorney General to provide additional training and tools for law enforcement.
(Information provided by The Kansas Department of Children and Families)
Since then, several new bills have been created and amended in the Kansas House of Representatives and Senate. For instance, the Senate Bill 214 which was passed under the description and title of “Creating a civil remedy statute for human trafficking victims; specifying restitution measures for such victims and directing certain restitution to the human trafficking victim assistance fund; changing statutory references to the crimes of human trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation of a child”
The anti-trafficking movement is still very young. The public is just recently getting the full picture of what sex trafficking is and what they can do to help. Former victim and current advocate of sex trafficking, Kristen Tebow, tries to stay focused on the things she can control,
“I can’t stop human trafficking by myself… all I can do is take care of myself and the victims I come in contact with… and help with legislation,” says Tebow.
Local organizations such as The Freedom Alliance and The Homestead Ministry are continually working to bring awareness to Kansas, as well as to the entire nation, just how serious trafficking is in our area.