Daniqua Polk
Online Magazine
“Will This Legislation be Successful?”
In our society today the social issue of sex trafficking is now taking on a challenge. In the passing of Atlanta’s latest legislation higher fines and stiffer sentences are being imposed on sex traffickers. Sex trade victims are now also being offered new treatment alternatives. In the senate’s vote was a 54-0 unanimous vote on the new bill overhaul of how individuals forced into prostitutions would be charged. In the stated legislation a twenty-five year sentence can be given to those convicted of coercion to traffic someone under the age of 18. A five year minimum sentence can be dealt to an offender who pays a 16-year-old for sex. An offender can also face as much as ten years for trying to have sex with someone under the age of 16.
For victims who are left out on the streets to fend for themselves sometime get caught up in the lifestyle of prostitution, and receive numerous trips behind bars. With the old legislation these individuals would receive countless chargers without authorities even looking into whether or not these individuals were victims of sex traffickers or pimps coercing them into prostitution. In the case of sex trafficking activist Keisha Head, she ran away from home at age 12, and then became introduced to prostitution at the age of 16 through a childhood friend. Ms. Head stated, “It was like a nightmare, it was like I fell down a rabbit hole and never got out.” She prostituted through a pimp then onto her own escort company until after spending three years behind bars on unrelated charges. During her time of prostituting and escorting she was abused, rape, and beaten. Even though she managed to leave that lifestyle alone her pimp never received and jail time and she never received the proper treatment for her ordeal.
With the new implications of the bill sign by Governor Nathan Deal changes can be made for victims I who were in similar cases like Ms. Head. With harsher penalties,”children will stop being treated as criminals and start being treated as victims.” Adults caught in the sex trade issue will become more accountable for their crimes and pay the consequences. In Kaffie McCullough campaign at, “Future Not A Past,” he stated that Georgia’s sex trafficking rules are also in affect to overhaul larger parts of immigration crackdowns. According to sex trafficking facts, The U.S. Department of State estimates that, “about 600,000 to 800,000 people - mostly women and children - are trafficked across national borders annually,” Most originating in countries such as Russia, Ukraine, and Central Europe.
This legislation is bringing about a turnaround for victims now caught in prostitution. It is now giving them a voice in the law. With the new bill introduced by the senate is just leaves the question of how effective will its penalties be in sex trafficking cases. Can we see a correlation to a decrease in minors behind bars and illegal immigrants smuggled into this country. Only further years ahead will tell.
