Florida will soon become the state with the harshest sex trafficking laws. Last week, the House Judiciary Committee unanimously advanced a bill to strengthen and broaden state statutes against human trafficking in Florida. The bill recognizes the multi-jurisdictional nature of these crimes so it would bring it them up to a federal level, and would authorize wiretapping and forfeiture much like RICO offenses.
Kristin Davis, the former Manhattan Madam, who supplied prostitutes for Eliot Spitzer , was convicted for promoting prostitution and served four months on Rikers Island, today, stated that “New York is not tough enough on sex trafficking crimes”. Davis now heads Hope House, a non-profit set up to combat sex trafficking.
“The task force overseeing the human trafficking in New York is too going to light on these crimes." said Davis." The charge of Sex trafficking is only a Class B Felony, which means with a plea bargain the defendant might serve no jail time”.
“Ironically, this law also targets the demand for prostitution which is the law championed by former Governor Eliot Spitzer that increases the penalty for a man patronizing a prostitute from a misdemeanor to a felony. Eliot Spitzer, by example, has shown us just how effective that law is since he served no time”, said Davis.
The U.S. State Department estimates that some 700,000 people, mostly women and children, are trafficked across national borders annually, with Florida serving as a prime port for U.S traffic. This is said to a $42.5 Billion industry, which grows to $200 Billion a year when you include organ harvesting.
“Florida, California and New York are believed to be the Top 3 destinations for sex trafficking. New York needs to follow in Florida’s footsteps and become a zero tolerance state”, said Davis. Only 3 years ago, The U.S. State Department, estimated that 250,000 people were sex trafficked – now that number has nearly tripled.
“As a former madam, I have seen both sides of the industry – educated women who become escorts by choice, and under age girls and immigrants who have been forced into a life of prostitution." said Davis." Its an issue that we tend to brush under the rug because sex trafficking seems like something that happens in Thailand not something that happens in the good ole’ USA. But it does. And our inability to accept this and to create laws to go after the sex traffickers has caused sex trafficking to increase”.
In 2010, Davis started a nonprofit called Hope House to address sex trafficking in New York City. Since then she has interviewed over 500 women who were sex trafficked. Many of these women have been lured to the United States by fraudulent job postings or are vacationing here and have ultimately been kidnapped with their identification taken, drugged and held hostage. They are forced to perform sex acts for fear of being harmed, for their families being harmed, and because they have no money, no friends here, and no way to get home.
“New York needs to become a Zero Tolerance State and toughen the laws to go after sex traffickers. We need to combine forces with the other East Coast states that share a common pipeline transporting these girls from Florida up through New York and back down to Florida." said Davis." Its time we stop the abuse of women and stand up to these predators”
