JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – The Missouri General Assembly hopes to combat sex and human trafficking while safeguarding the rights of children with legislation moving forward inside the statehouse.
The bill, sponsored by Rep. Jeff Myers, Warrenton, passed by nearly a unanimous vote in the House earlier this month. Myers said the goal of the legislation is to drive down demand and address issues related to sex and human trafficking by mandating training for various professionals and requiring those found guilty of the crime to pay restitution.
“If you look in this world, there is evil; and I think this is one of the ugliest faces of it,” Myers said. “It’s not just an urban issue, it’s not just a suburban issue, it’s in the rural areas. There are parents who are trafficking their children for rent, trafficking their children for drugs.”
Fighting human trafficking in Missouri is a bipartisan issue. Myers, a former Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper, said House Bill 1706 would require prosecutors, social workers, juvenile officers, paramedics, and law enforcement officers to receive sex and human trafficking training.
“Unfortunately, so many professionals have to be knowledgeable about so many things beyond the scope of what they are trained to do, and sex trafficking is definitely one of those buckets where folks need to understand the warning signs of that and how to intervene and how to really figure out what’s going on,” House Minority Leader Crystal Quade, D-Springfield, said.
The legislation would also establish a Statewide Council Against Adult Trafficking and Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children within the attorney general’s office, which would be required to meet quarterly. Members of the council could consist of two members of the Senate and two members of the House. This group would coordinate a statewide plan to combat these crimes.
“The goal of this first part is to drive down the demand,” Myers said. “It’s not a victimless crime. Then, start opening the eyes of folks who are constantly coming into contact with these victims.”
Myers said his background in law enforcement made him aware of the crime, which led to his filing the bill. The legislation also has a provision to increase the penalties for purchasers of sex.
He recalls sitting in a training class when he was a law enforcement officer when he realized how to point out human trafficking.
“Some things, when you see them, you can’t unsee them,” Myers said. “Once my eyes were open to this topic, it was something that really did motivate me.”
The legislation also raises the qualifying age of victims in multiple circumstances. Under current law, a statement made by a child under 14 is admissible as evidence in court. This bill would raise the age to 17. In addition, it also increases the penalty for patronizing prostitution from a Class B misdemeanor to a Class E felony.
His bill comes at a time when female legislators are pushing to eliminate child marriage in Missouri by prohibiting marriage licenses for anyone under the age of 18. Currently, under state law, 16- and 17-year-olds can get married to someone under the age of 21 with their parent’s consent.
“Missouri is one of the worst states in the nation for sex trafficking and child exploitation,” Sen. Holly Thompson Rehder, R-Sikeston, said. “Our marriage laws contributed to some of those things.”
There’s also a measure in the bill that requires someone who is found guilty of certain sexual offenses to pay $10,000 in restitution per victim, plus another $2,500 to each county the offense occurred in.
The legislation is now waiting to be heard in the Senate.
