State Rep. Chris Bos (R-Lake Zurich) is sponsoring legislation he hopes will make things more difficult for human traffickers.
“There is no silver bullet to stop sexual abusers and traffickers, but these new pieces of legislation specifically target the tactics and tricks they use to coerce new victims,” Bos said on his website. “If we can make it harder for the predators to escape justice, we make it less lucrative and ensure fewer children and vulnerable people become victims.”
House Bill 4593 would prevent sexual predators from claiming they did not know the person they solicited for sex was underage or suffered from an intellectual disability.
House Bill 4592 would increase penalties for those who target children in shelters for victims of domestic violence or sexual assault, and other settings where the person would be more vulnerable. It also increases the penalties for repeat offenders who solicit sex from adults, children or someone with an intellectual disability.
House Bill 4407 would require those convicted of underage sex trafficking or pimping to register as a sex offender.
House Bill 4402 would create the Human Trafficking Order of Protection Act to provide added protections for human trafficking victims.
Bos is no stranger to this type of legislation. He sponsored a bill that became law last year that protects the privacy of human trafficking victims through address confidentiality.
January has been designated Human Trafficking Prevention Month nationally. It is a time to honor the efforts of international organizations, anti-trafficking entities and others who raise people’s awareness of the problem.
