House Judiciary Committee Approves Three Bills to Combat Human Trafficking - 0 views
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Andrea Valente on 07 May 14- "While we have strengthened our laws to combat human trafficking, we still have work to do to put an end to these heinous crimes. I am pleased that the House Judiciary Committee today approved several crucial pieces of legislation that hold everyone involved in these crimes accountable, whether they sell, buy, or market these crimes to potential buyers. These bills also ensure that exploited children are treated as victims rather than as criminals and provide much-needed resources to victims of sex trafficking that will help them reclaim and rebuild their lives. I thank my colleagues, Representatives Ted Poe, Erik Paulsen, and Ann Wagner, for working on these important bills and urge the House to take these measures up as soon as possible." - Congress must take the lead and ensure that victims of human trafficking are no longer treated as criminals. - According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), sex trafficking is the fastest-growing business of organized crime and the third-largest criminal enterprise in the world. One organization estimates that child sex trafficking in the U.S. is a $9.8 billion industry. - Since these crimes usually occur outside of the public eye, it is difficult to estimate the number of minor victims of sex trafficking. One study estimates that over 290,000 American youth are at risk of becoming a victim of sex trafficking. Additionally, from 2004 through 2008, the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force experienced an increase of more than 900 percent in the number of minor sex trafficking complaints.