A certain type of sex offender has been overlooked for many years. Unfortunately, all too often they end up with light sentences or treatment programs rather than serious punishments. Los Angeles, however, is seeking to change that with it’s new laws and regulations on specific sex crimes.
One of the most densely populated counties in the country, Los Angeles is actually home to approximately 10 million people. Unfortunately, the state is one of the most popular for human trafficking. This is one of the reasons it’s so important for Los Angeles to start cracking down and making it more difficult for traffickers to market the young girls they’ve kidnapped and for Johns’ to find those girls and assault them.
The current problem is that most of the punishments are directed at the traffickers themselves and not at the Johns who ‘purchase’ the girls. As a result, Johns are often let off the hook with lighter sentences because there’s nothing available to prosecute with. Los Angeles has found a new way to go about this.
Sex offender laws are in place to protect men, women and children from those who sexually assault them. When it comes to ‘buying’ young girls on the street for sex, these laws have also been found to apply. So what happens now? The new method of punishment is to charge these men with any crime possible related to their offense, and there are definitely a slew of them.
When it comes to having unwitting, solicited sex with a minor in California, a John could face a charge that can result in sex offender registration. But with the new methods of punishment this isn’t the only thing a John may see. They could be charged with felonies ranging from rape and child abuse to child endangerment.
Under present rules, Johns have been allowed to get away with their crimes almost completely free and clear. The reason? Most of these Johns are affluent people who contribute to their community and it has been that way, throughout history. Now however, police have determined that it’s time to crack down on the problem and make sure that these Johns are given a punishment that fits their crime.
Assaulting young children is not acceptable and police throughout Los Angeles are taking a stand, hoping to influence change throughout the country with their sex offender initiative.