During a recent session, the Erie County Legislature unanimously approved a resolution in support of proposed state legislation that would protect victims of child trafficking and help prosecute abusers.

Every year, millions of men, women and children are trafficked around the world including the United States. In Western New York, there were 300 cases of human trafficking reported in 2017.  

Under New York State Law, force, coercion or fraud must be proven in order to find an individual guilty of sex trafficking, creating challenges for prosecutors. This standard can force children to testify against their abuses which is often traumatizing for the victim.

Recently, a bill to remove the need to prove force, coercion or fraud and requirement to testify passed the New York State Senate but has not yet been signed into law. A similar bill is currently stalled in the New York State Assembly committee.

“These loopholes often allow traffickers to walk away unpunished which is reprehensible,” said Legislator John Mills. “Child trafficking is a horrific crime and New York State must pass this legislation to bring traffickers to justice.”

 “State law should give law enforcement and prosecutors the tools they need to protect victims and hold abusers accountable,” said Legislator Lynne Dixon. “I urge our state representatives to pass this legislation so we can work toward putting an end to this scourge on society.”

“The fight against human trafficking requires the collaboration of our communities organizations in order to be successful,” said Erie County Sheriff’s Office Human Trafficking Detective Theresa Nietzel.  “The support of the Erie County Legislature is one example of how Western New York has joined together to end this form of modern day slavery. The Erie County Sheriff's Office is committed to investigating crimes of human trafficking. If anyone would like to report a suspicion of human trafficking please contact Crimestoppers at 716-867-6161.”

The resolution can be found here.