Tougher sex trafficker penalties

The penalties for sex traffickers could become more severe.

Sponsored by Rep. Michael Paymar (DFL-St. Paul) and Sen. Sandy Pappas (DFL-St. Paul), HF1505*/SF1514 comes from a report from a sex trafficking taskforce funded by the Office of Justice Programs.

Passed 131-0 by the House May 8, it now awaits Senate action.

“This is part of an overall effort to stop sex trafficking in the state of Minnesota,” Paymar said. “Sex trafficking is not limited to foreign nationals. Girls and women are regularly trafficked every day in the state of Minnesota. The average age of a trafficked individual is 12 years old.”

The bill creates a first- and second-degree sex trafficking offense that is similar to first- and second-degree sexual or domestic assaults. It calls for a 20-year felony for sex trafficking a minor and 15 years for sex trafficking any other person.

It also contains a provision for a 25-year sentence for a first-degree case with aggravating factors, such as repeat offenders, victims suffering bodily harm during the offense commission, more than one victim involved, or the time the victim was held in debt bondage or forced labor was more than 180 days.

Rep. Melissa Hortman (DFL-Brooklyn Park) successfully amended the bill with the language of HF1213, which she sponsors. It clarifies the definition of prostitution so it is the same for a gross misdemeanor and a misdemeanor, and makes clarifying changes to “prostitution in a public place” by using language consistent with other prostitution statutes.