By Daniel Stefanski |
State officials are making the case for voters to support a ballot measure that would drastically increase protections for children currently, or who may later be, under the heinous scourge of sex trafficking in Arizona.
Recently, Arizona State Senator Janae Shamp urged voters to vote yes on Proposition 313 in the upcoming November Election.
If passed by voters, Proposition 313 would “require that a person convicted of a Class 2 Felony for child sex trafficking be sentenced to imprisonment in the custody of the Department of Corrections for natural life without the possibility of release.” According to the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office, “The current sentencing ranges are between 7 years and natural life imprisonment without the possibility of release, depending on the age of the victim, the defendant’s criminal history, and other factors.”
Last week, Shamp shared a post from President Donald J. Trump’s ‘War Room’ account that detailed the dangers of sex trafficking of minors. The post revealed that these acts are “becoming the fastest growing criminal enterprise in the United States,” and that “this horrifying reality” was the result “of Kamala Harris’ open border.”
This measure was referred to the ballot by the Arizona Legislature earlier this year. State Senator Shawnna Bolick spearheaded the effort as part of her persistent efforts to protect innocent children around Arizona. Writing about the importance of this measure, Bolick said, “Every two minutes a child from the United States is trafficked for the sole purpose of human exploitation. According to the Arizona Attorney General’s Office, the average age of entry into sex trafficking is 14 years old. Traffickers steal our children as young as five years old to sell them into a life of misery and despair.”
Bolick added, “These adolescents lose everything to be thrown into the sex trade business. They are removed from their families and often sold over and over and forced to perform unspeakable acts. With the rise of social media and internet capabilities, these innocent children often have an internet presence against their own will, where predators share and sell their images and videos repeatedly across the Dark Web…. Your YES vote on Proposition 313 will protect children from sexual exploitation. Our neighbor’s daughter or son needs your YES vote for protection.”
Yavapai County Sheriff David Rhodes, the President of the Arizona Sheriff Association, also lent his voice to supporting this ballot measure. He stated, “Currently, when caught, the people who traffic these children face prison sentences that do not match the crime. But now, with Prop. 313, these monsters can meet true justice when apprehended and convicted in an Arizona court of law. The sheriffs across Arizona fully support the simplicity of Prop. 313 – convicted of 2nd-degree felony child sex trafficking and face a lifetime in an Arizona prison cell with no opportunity for an early release.”
Pinal County Mark Lamb weighed in, saying, “A yes vote on Prop 313 means you are willing to protect our kids and give our law enforcement the tools needed to hold sex traffickers accountable for their actions. Help us to send a strong message to those who wish to exploit the most vulnerable populations that our children are not for sale.”
Senator Shamp also appeared at a town hall in Maricopa County with national advocate Riley Gaines and other speakers. She and the other ladies on the panel promoted Proposition 313 and urged attendees to help send a message to perpetrators that “no child is for sale in Arizona or throughout America.”
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.