California child prostitution bill's author unhappy with amendment

A California bill that would increase the penalties for people who buy sex 
with a child continues to advance in the state legislature. However, 
recent changes to the bill have received criticism.

Senate Bill 1414, a bipartisan measure authored by Sens. Shannon Grove (R-
Bakersfield), Anna Caballero (D-Merced), and Susan Rubio (D-Baldwin Park), 
would make it a felony for someone to solicit or pay for sex with a minor.

A recent amendment to the bill now requires that those accused of 
soliciting sex with minors, specifically aged 16 or 17, can only be 
charged with a felony if the victim was also a victim of sex trafficking.

The bill’s original version didn’t require an age caveat, and one of its 
authors has criticized the new addition.

“The Assembly Public Safety Committee amended SB 1414, making it even 
harder to protect 16 and 17-year-old children.  For 16 and 17-year-olds to 
have additional protections, they must first prove to be victims of human 
trafficking,” Sen. Grove said in a statement.

“Now, two crimes must be proven, the buying AND the selling of a child, 
before a buyer can receive a stronger penalty. All children deserve to be 
protected equally. When will the Public Safety Committees prioritize the 
protection of all children over perpetrators?”

In a press release, Grove stated that district attorneys said it would 
make prosecuting even harder.

As SB 1414 continues to move through the legislature, the chances of it 
heading to Gov. Gavin Newsom for his signature increases, but the question 
remains: what form of the bill will be passed into law?

Grove has told multiple media outlets that her fight to restore the bill’s 
original version is far from over.  Still, not everyone is against the new 
changes.

Annie Irwin, the founder and director of Smart Justice California, 
recently told California Black Media that she agreed with the changes.

The bill will soon go before the Assembly Appropriations Committee in 
August.

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