Senate Bill 14, which would classify child sex trafficking as a “serious felony, unanimously passed in the California legislature. The bill will now go to Gov. Gavin Newsom (D), who has previously expressed support for the bill. Presently those convicted of such crimes are able to gain early release from prison based on good behavior, but the new law could send repeat “serious felony” offenders to prison for life. California Sen. Shannon Grove (R) stated after the vote, “With the passage of this bill, we are sending a clear message to repeat child traffickers — we intend to put you out of business and into prison.” If Newsom signs the bill into law, it would mark the first time California has voted to add a crime to the state’s three-strikes law.
