CHILD TRAFFICKING

New York State is one of only three states that requires a child (under the age of eighteen) to prove that he or she was coerced into sex in order to claim that they are a victim of sex trafficking. It seems that statutory rape laws should have addressed this issue, but they clearly have not, as evidenced by the large numbers of children who are being lured into the underworld of child sex trafficking. New Yorkers should demand that the State Assembly vote yes to end the debate about the need for coercion. Call your state Assembly person and urge them to say yes to Assembly Bill A6823B.

On a related note, it should be a federal offense for a school principal to lock the doors of a school in such a way as to prevent a child who is late from entering the building. Parents expect that their children will gain access to school even when they are five, ten, fifteen minutes late or even two hours late. A child should not be left in the street and unsupervised for an entire day merely because they were ten minutes late for school. It is this common practice in inner city schools that leaves children vulnerable and easy prey.