Paul Adams Supports Bill to Fight Human Trafficking

This was submitted by the office of State Representative Paul Adams, R-Andover.

State Representative Paul Adams, R-Andover, joined his colleagues in the Massachusetts House of Representatives recently in unanimously passing legislation aimed at fighting human trafficking in the Commonwealth. The bill creates crimes for human trafficking offenses such as trafficking persons for sexual servitude and trafficking persons for forced services.

“The unanimous passing of anti-human trafficking legislation by the House is a great first step in the fight against the exploitation of some of our commonwealth’s most vulnerable citizens,” Adams said.

Adams voted with his colleagues in the House of Representatives on this bill on Wednesday, June 1.

“This commonsense legislation would add Massachusetts to the list of 46 states establishing the crimes of trafficking persons for services and for sexual servitude, and the adoption of Republican amendments adds prosecutorial teeth by ensuring that those convicted of such offenses spend more time in jail. I encourage the Senate to pass this legislation swiftly and help end exploitation and forced labor throughout our commonwealth—especially in immigrant-heavy communities such as Lawrence and Lowell, where such problems are especially prevalent.”

The bill creates the crimes of trafficking persons for sexual servitude and trafficking persons for forced services, each of which carries a punishment of imprisonment for up to 15 years or a fine of up to $25,000, or both. It also creates the crimes of trafficking for sexual servitude or forced services on a person under 18 years of age. Each crime carries a penalty of up to life in prison.

Additionally, the bill increases protection for children by raising the age that is required for consideration as a minor in the context of engagement in sexual conduct. Previously, only those under 14 years of age had qualified as minors in this context. This legislation increases the age to 18.

The legislation authorizes all money seized as a result of human trafficking apprehensions to be made available to human trafficking victims who are awarded restitution by a court.

The bill also addresses the demand side of human trafficking by increasing the punishment for those who pay another person in exchange for sexual conduct.

In an effort to provide needed social services for victims of human trafficking, the bill includes a “Safe Harbor” provision that allows a court to judge a person under 18 years who is apprehended for prostitution – but found to be a victim of human trafficking – to be in need of services rather than simply delinquent.

Finally, the bill establishes an inter-agency task force to address human trafficking. The task force will collect data to continually study the problem of human trafficking and devise plans to share information across agencies to facilitate a more efficient pursuit of human traffickers.