Bill Heads to Governor's Desk for Signature
(Providence, RI) - Today, the Rhode Island General Assembly passed legislation filed at the request of Attorney General Peter F. Kilmartin that would make anyone convicted of sex trafficking be subject to the State's sex offender registration and community notification statute. The legislation (H7318A/ S2516A), sponsored by Representative Robert E. Craven, Sr. (D., District 32 – North Kingstown) and Senator Maryellen Goodwin (D., District 1 – Providence) now heads to the Governor's desk for signature.
Sex trafficking is the world's fastest growing criminal enterprise, valued to be an estimated $32 billion-a-year global industry. After drug trafficking, sex trafficking is the world's second most profitable criminal enterprise, a status it shares with illegal arms trafficking. Sex trafficking can and does take place in every community, no matter the cultural make up, the affluence, or the location of a community.
No community is immune from being affected by the exploitation of human beings for commercial sexual activity. Over the past two years in Rhode Island, at least 30 individuals have been charged with sex trafficking crimes by prosecutors from the United States Attorney's Office and the Attorney General's Office.
"The individuals who capitalize on the selling of a person, mostly young women against their will, for sexual commercialization are sexual predators and rightfully will now be subject to the same rigorous classification and community notification standards as those convicted of other sex offenses," said Attorney General Kilmartin. "It is extremely troubling that we have seen an increase in human trafficking over the past few years, and we need every possible prosecutorial tool to stop the traffickers and get assistance to the victims. I applaud the General Assembly for taken bold action in the past few years to address this growing problem, including the passage of this legislation today."
"There is no difference between sex traffickers and sex offenders. Both are dangerous types of people that prey upon the innocent and sex traffickers should be on the same list that warns the public about these predators," said Rep. Robert E. Craven. "This legislation will keep our families, friends, and communities safer from these despicable individuals."
"If there's anyone who should be on the sex offender registry, it's sex traffickers. Trafficking is a very calculated offense. Its perpetrators often have multiple victims, and they exploit those victims in extremely dehumanizing ways. The purpose of the sex offender registry is to alert neighbors so they can protect themselves and their families from danger, and this type of offender is certainly someone about whom neighbors should be aware. The sex offender registry is one way to prevent traffickers from making contact with new potential victims, so it's another tool in the battle against sex trafficking," said Majority Whip Goodwin.