NY Times: California Child Sex Trafficking Increased With SB 357, Signed By Newsom in 2022

A New York Times article is drawing attention to a child sex trafficking crisis in Los Angeles, California, that has resulted from SB 357, which was passed by the state legislature and signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom in 2022. State Senator Scott Wiener said the reasoning for the bill was to prevent the profiling of minorities and trans individuals who were loitering. Previously, officers could use loitering as a context to detain the individuals and determine if any of the sex workers were underage.

When SB 357 took effect in January 2023, it meant officers needed to prove the individual committed an act of prostitution to detain them or have strong evidence that the individual is underage. Underage victims who are sex-trafficked typically wear long eyelashes and clothing that can disguise their age, which makes it difficult for officers to save the underage victims of sex trafficking.

The ACLU supported the passage of the law at the time. The organization stated, “California’s law that criminalizes loitering with intent to commit prostitution gives law enforcement a tool to harass and discriminate against Black and trans communities, particularly women of color. The Safer Streets for All Act will take away this outdated and subjective Penal Code section 653.22, which has for too long allowed law enforcement to criminalize and harass someone based on the color of their skin, their gender, or how they choose to make a living.”

Massive budget cuts occurred in 2021 that caused the human trafficking unit to be disbanded. The 77th Street Division, near an area of heavy prostitution and child sex trafficking, reduced agents from six to one, according to the Times report. This occurred following a strong “Defund the Police” campaign in 2020, following the death of George Floyd in the custody of Minneapolis Police, which sparked nationwide “Black Lives Matter” protests and riots. City leaders approved a $150 million budget reduction for the LAPD, resulting in the lowest number of officers in more than a decade.

In August, US Attorney General Pam Bondi and the Department of Justice brought charges against 11 members of the Hoover criminal gang for sex trafficking of minors and young women on Figueroa Street. The DOJ alleges that gang members used force, fraud, or coercion to victimize vulnerable people, including runaways and foster care children.

“The U.S. Department of Justice, under the leadership of Attorney General Pamela Bondi, is making Los Angeles safer by arresting prolific gang members who are viciously trafficking young women and children for sex,” said Acting United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “There are no meaningful consequences for their conduct under state law, so the federal government – aided by its local law enforcement partners – will step in to make sure these criminals face lengthy prison sentences. Today’s operation is the first step in returning the Figueroa Corridor – long known as a prostitution haven – back to its residents who have suffered for too long while criminals were allowed to run amok.”

In September, LA Mayor Karen Bass and US Attorney Martin Estrada, along with other officials, announced several cases against child human traffickers with multiple victims as young as 13 years old. They also announced a collaboration between local and federal officials to combat human trafficking in the Figueroa corridor, so that suspects will be federally prosecuted.

“The Figueroa Corridor area is ground zero for human trafficking, and victims are abused and exploited there every day,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “With this initiative, we are combining federal and local resources to focus on prosecuting more cases federally, particularly those involving victims who are children, and coordinating with our local partners to hold perpetrators accountable. It is imperative that we take an all-hands approach to stop the human trafficking happening right in our backyard.”

The California Family Council said the Times deserves credit for exposing the reality of the child sexual exploitation happening on Figueroa Street, but called out the author for failing to mention state Senator Scott Wiener, who authored SB 357, and Governor Newsom, who signed the bill into law despite warnings that the law would enable human traffickers.

A letter signed by 28 survivors, 12 elected officials, almost 100 organizations, and more than 800 individuals was sent to Governor Newsom, urging him to veto the bill. The letter states, “Getting rid of this loitering law will put vulnerable California communities at risk by ‘giving buyers, traffickers, and pimps the freedom to troll the community for women and children to victimize without fear of consequence.’”

At the time of signing the bill, Governor Newsom said his administration would “monitor crime and prosecution trends for any possible unintended consequences and will act to mitigate any such impacts.” The California Family Council called out the governor for not taking action on this issue three years after he signed SB 357 into law.

Governor Newsom has pushed back against the weakening of convictions for sex predators when the victim is 16 or 17 years old. Newsom’s office pushed back on the attempted classification of these crimes as misdemeanors. ​​“The law should treat all sex predators who solicit minors the same — as a felony, regardless of the intended victim’s age,” Newsom spokesperson Izzy Gardon said.

In September 2024, Governor Newsom’s office issued a statement after he signed four bills into law “to protect victims of human trafficking and help ensure that the predators who exploit them are held accountable.”

Governor Newsom signed SB 145, also authored by Senator Wiener, in 2020, which removed mandated sex offender registration for suspects charged with having oral or anal intercourse with 14-17 year olds if there is less than a 10-year age gap. Vaginal intercourse was already given judicial discretion, and this law was said to bring equality in sentencing and discretion. Governor Newsom and the legislature were criticized for weakening the charges against adults who have intercourse with minors rather than strengthening the laws against vaginal intercourse to remove discrepancies.