Human Trafficking

SACRAMENTO -- Attorney General Kamala D. Harris today announced that a bill she is sponsoring to ensure that those convicted of human trafficking crimes involving minors will not be able to keep the financial benefits reaped from those crimes unanimously passed out of the state Senate.

“The trafficking of human beings is an unseen problem in California and throughout the country,” said Attorney General Harris. “I am proud to sponsor legislation that will undercut the trafficking of human beings throughout our state.”

Senate Bill 1133, authored by Senator Mark Leno (D-San Francisco), ensures that those convicted of human trafficking crimes involving minors will not be able to keep the financial benefits reaped from those crimes. This bill expands on the current list of assets that the perpetrator must forfeit and provides a formula to redirect those resources to community groups that aid victims of human trafficking. It passed the Senate floor 36 to 0.

“Sex trafficking of minors is a horrendous crime that is driven by the prospect of lucrative profits,” said Senator Leno. “This legislation aims to deprive convicted criminals of the financial resources and assets that would allow them to continue luring young people into the sex trade. In turn, proceeds from those forfeitures would rightfully be used to help victims begin to repair their lives.”

Attorney General Harris has been committed to combating human trafficking throughout her career. Human trafficking in California first became a felony in 2005 with the California Human Trafficking Victims Protection Act that the Attorney General co-sponsored when she served as the District Attorney of San Francisco.

Attorney General Harris has also served on the California Alliance to Combat Trafficking and Slavery Task Force and the Department of Justice is currently updating the report “Human Trafficking in California,” which was released by the task force in 2007. The updated report is expected to be issued this summer.

The Attorney General is sponsoring a second human trafficking bill this session. Assembly Bill 2466 (Preservation of Assets for Victims of Human Trafficking), by Assemblymember Bob Blumenfield (D-San Fernando Valley) will require that more victims of human trafficking receive restitution. Under California law, victims are entitled to mandatory restitution; however there are no laws to help prevent human trafficking defendants from liquidating and hiding their assets before conviction. Assembly Bill 2466 would allow a court to order the preservation of the assets and property by persons charged with human trafficking. The bill passed the Assembly unanimously earlier this month and is pending in the Senate.

Human trafficking is estimated to be a $32 billion industry, the world’s third most profitable criminal enterprise behind drugs and arms trafficking. Human trafficking involves the recruitment, smuggling, transporting, harboring, buying, or selling of a person for purposes of exploitation, prostitution, domestic servitude, sweatshop labor, migrant work, agricultural labor, peonage, bondage, or involuntary servitude. While human trafficking often involves the smuggling of human beings across international borders, numerous Americans are trafficked around the United States ever year. Human trafficking strips people, especially women and children, of their freedom and violates our nation’s promise that every person in the United States is guaranteed basic human rights.

For more information, go to the Attorney General’s human trafficking web site at www.oag.ca.gov/human-trafficking

SAN FRANCISCO --- Attorney General Kamala D. Harris today marked National Human Trafficking Awareness Day by issuing an alert with tips to help Californians identify and report human trafficking.

Human trafficking is slavery, and unlike the slavery of the past, this modern form of slavery is a hidden crime. It is estimated to be a $9 billion worldwide industry, with more than 14,500 individuals trafficked each year into the United States. The trafficking is often done by transnational gangs that transport guns, drugs and human beings across the border into California.

Identifying instances of human trafficking is difficult because of the problem’s scope: victims of human trafficking work in a variety of industries, including the sex trade, domestic labor, restaurants, sweatshops, construction, massage parlors, and agriculture. Due to the hidden nature of the crime, perpetrators often operate unnoticed, and those who suffer are not likely to self-identify or report themselves as victims of the crime of “human trafficking.”

To a general observer, victims of human trafficking may look similar to other workers in their respective professions, but there may be some signs or indicators of abuse.

- Indicators include excessive work-related injuries, bruises and other evidence of beatings, untreated sexually transmitted diseases, untreated critical illnesses such as diabetes or heart disease, malnourishment, severe psychological distress, and poor dental health.

- Other important signs of abuse include a limited or nonexistent ability to speak English, the inability to speak to another individual by themselves, a general confusion about their location or surroundings, lack of knowledge about American culture, excessive working hours, evidence of being controlled, inability to come and go freely, submissive or anxious and fearful, no passport or other forms of documentation, has few or no personal possessions, is unpaid or paid very little, and under 18 and possibly involved in prostitution.

Attorney General Harris offered the following resources for reporting suspected victims of human trafficking:
- The National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888
- The U.S. Department of Justice Hotline at 1-888-428-7581 or
- Report it to your local law enforcement authorities

For additional information, visit the Attorney General’s Human Trafficking in California website at http://oag.ca.gov/human-trafficking.

SAN FRANCISCO -- Attorney General Kamala D. Harris today issued the following statement marking January as National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month. Attorney General Harris also announced the launch of the Human Trafficking in California website, a hub for information and resources designed to connect Californians in the fight against human trafficking. The website can be found at: http://oag.ca.gov/human-trafficking.

“This month, we are called upon to acknowledge the appalling existence of modern-day slavery – and to join together in the effort to eradicate slavery once and for all. This effort requires our collaboration to protect victims and hold traffickers accountable, as well as our vigilance to protect these abuses from occurring in the first place.

I have long been committed to fighting human trafficking. As District Attorney of San Francisco, I co-sponsored the California Human Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2005, which made human trafficking a felony in this state. Now, as Attorney General, I am making the fight against human trafficking a priority for the California Department of Justice.

I am proud to have many partners in this work, and to participate in the National Association of Attorneys General’s Pillars of Hope initiative to combat human trafficking.

The Human Trafficking in California website being launched today includes highlights of the important work being done across the state, as well as comprehensive resources to identify and report human trafficking. I encourage every Californian to visit the website, and to join in the fight against human trafficking.”