SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California lawmakers in the Assembly Public Safety Committee are blocking a proposal that would make it a felony to purchase 16 and 17-year-old children for sex.
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Assemblyman Nick Shultz, the Democratic chairman of the committee, confirmed AB 379, a bill to crack down on the consumers of the child sex trafficking industry, will move forward on Tuesday, but without the proposed felony charge.
It’s the latest development in a debate that has been underway for more than a year at the state capitol as lawmakers target criminals who buy children for sex.
Last year, Republican State Senator Shannon Grove first introduced the proposal to make it a felony to buy a child under the age of 18 for sex. Before the proposal, it had been a misdemeanor crime in the state.
Grove and other lawmakers in the Senate and Assembly last year struck what Democrats called “a deal” and Grove called “an ultimatum” to allow the felony charge to only apply to those who purchase children under the age of 16 for sex. For those who purchase 16 and 17-year-olds, those criminals could face either a misdemeanor or felony, leaving it up to local prosecutors to decide. The law also requires the older teens to prove they’re being trafficked.
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