Jefferson City, Mo. – Hundreds of people gathered in the Rotunda of the Missouri State Capitol on Jan. 23 to bring awareness to sex trafficking in our state.
The annual Sex Trafficking Awareness Day included a rally with speakers from the Central Missouri Stop Human Trafficking Coalition and other groups. In addition, the attorney general and lawmakers from both chambers spoke on the importance of addressing the issue of trafficking in Missouri. Chiquita Tillman, inspirational speaker, author and survivor of sex trafficking also spoke to the crowd about the importance of helping victims acclimate back into society following their captivity.
Reports show the Federal Bureau of Investigation has named Missouri a top destination for human trafficking. Organized crime generates more than $150 billion in profits through human trafficking. The crime affects more than 21 million people in Missouri, the average age of a person forced into sex trafficking is 13.
In 2017, the National Human Trafficking Hotline received 240 reports of human trafficking in Missouri, and 1,000 in the past 10 years. Ninety percent of reports concern females. Human trafficking is a real problem not just in Missouri, but across the country.
In 2005, Missouri became one of the first states to pass human trafficking laws. The problem has turned into what some lawmakers are calling modern day slavery – an epidemic – and new legislation is once again being filed to help prosecute the perpetrators and protect the victims.
Some of the proposals before the General Assembly dealing with sex trafficking in our state, include:
Senate Bill 604 would require the Department of Public Safety to create a human trafficking poster with resource information. The proposal also calls for certain establishments to hang the poster in a visible location by March 1, 2019.
House Bill 1526 would prevent children from being charged with prostitution and to require patrons of child prostitutes to register as sex offenders.
House Bill 1835 would allow victims of sex trafficking who have been found guilty of prostitution to have their records expunged for that offense. The measure also states that a minor who is suspected of committing the offense of prostitution is immune from criminal prosecution.
To report suspected cases of human trafficking please, call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888, or call the Missouri tip line at 1-844-487-0492.
For more information about the Missouri Senate, or the Capitol, please visit, www.senate.mo.gov.