OLEAN – State Senator Cathy Young (R) recently sent constituents an email detailing the efforts her office has made in the Senate to combat human trafficking.
Young said she’s supported several bills in the Senate intended to help curtail the sexual exploitation of children and provide safe housing for victims have been signed into law.
The Senator said one of the laws will create a criminal charge of sex trafficking of a child by removing the requirement to prove force, fraud, or coercion where a child under 18 engages in commercial sex. Prosecutors should have an easier time lodging charges against those who prey on children.
The bills would also require facilities such as hotels, inns, and motels to provide informational cards on the services available to victims of human trafficking, displayed in public spaces and individual guest rooms. The legislation would additionally expand the availability of the Human Trafficking Intervention Court (HTIC) Initiative, so that more victims will be eligible to receive the crucial services that are appropriate for their individual situations, including counseling, job training, education, housing, and medical treatment, among others.
According to Young, the Western New York Human Trafficking Task Force identified approximately 100 victims of trafficking, including 60 children, in 2016. Young, however, believes that the number is higher because victims are often physically, psychologically, financially or emotionally held captive by their traffickers.
