California General Election

ARGUMENT IN FAVOR OF PROPOSITION 35

STOP HUMAN TRAFFICKING—YES on 35.

In California, vulnerable women and children are held against their will and forced into prostitution for the financial gain of human traffickers. Many victims are girls as young as 12.

Human trafficking is one of the fastest-growing criminal enterprises in the world, and it’s happening right here on California’s streets and online where young girls are bought and sold.

A national study recently gave California an “F” grade on its laws dealing with child sex trafficking.

That’s why we need Proposition 35.

Yes on 35 will:

• Increase prison terms for human traffickers, to hold these criminals accountable.
• Require convicted human traffickers to register as sex offenders, to prevent future crimes.
• Require all registered sex offenders to disclose their Internet accounts, to stop the exploitation of children online.
• Increase fines from convicted human traffickers and use these funds to pay for victims’ services, so survivors can repair their lives.

Prop. 35 protects children from sexual exploitation.

Many sex trafficking victims are vulnerable children. They are afraid for their lives and abused—sexually, physically, and mentally. The FBI recognizes three cities in California—Los Angeles, San Francisco, and San Diego—as high intensity child sex trafficking areas. That’s why we need Prop. 35 to protect children from exploitation.

Prop. 35 holds human traffickers accountable for their horrendous crimes.

“Sex traffickers prey on the most vulnerable in our society. They get rich and throw their victims away. Prop. 35 will hold these criminals accountable. By passing 35, Californians will make a statement that we will not tolerate the sexual abuse of our children and that we stand with the victims of these horrible crimes.”

—Nancy O’Malley, Alameda County District Attorney and national victims’ rights advocate

Prop. 35 helps stop exploitation of children that starts online.

The Internet provides traffickers with access to vulnerable children. Prop. 35 requires convicted sex offenders to provide information to authorities about their Internet presence, which will help protect our children and prevent human trafficking.

California’s largest law enforcement groups urge YES on 35.

“As those on the front lines in the fight against human trafficking, we strongly urge YES on 35 to help us prosecute sex traffickers and protect victims of sexual exploitation.”

—Ron Cottingham, President, Peace Officers Research Association of California, representing 64,000 public safety members

Crime victims and their advocates urge YES on 35.

“Prop. 35 will protect children from human traffickers who profit from selling them on the street and online.”

—Marc Klaas, crime victims’ advocate and father of Polly Klaas, who was kidnapped and killed in 1993

“At 14, I ran away from a troubled home and into the clutches of a human trafficker. For years, I was trafficked and abused when I was still just a child. As a survivor of trafficking, I’m asking Californians to stand against sexual exploitation and vote Yes on 35.”

—Leah Albright-Byrd, Human Trafficking Survivor

PROTECT CHILDREN FROM SEXUAL EXPLOITATION. STOP HUMAN TRAFFICKERS.

YES on 35. VoteYeson35.com

LEAH ALBRIGHT-BYRD

Human Trafficking Survivor

MARC KLAAS, President

KlaasKids Foundation

SCOTT R. SEAMAN, President

California Police Chiefs Association

REBUTTAL TO ARGUMENT IN FAVOR OF PROPOSITION 35

This measure allegedly aimed at human trafficking actually threatens many innocent people:

If Proposition 35 passes, anyone receiving financial support from normal, consensual prostitution among adults—including a sex worker’s children, parents, spouse, domestic partner, roommate, landlord, or others—could be prosecuted as a human trafficker, and if convicted, forced to register as a sex offender for life!

“My son, who served our country in the U.S. military and now attends college, could be labeled a human trafficker and have to register as a sex offender if I support him with money I earn providing erotic services.”—Maxine Doogan

Rather than working with sex worker communities to stop real human traffickers, far-left anti-sex feminists and far-right religious conservatives who back Proposition 35 hope voters who hear “trafficking” will be deceived into supporting their futile crusade against the “world’s oldest profession” by further criminalizing people connected with consensual adult prostitution. Proponents’ argument that California is a “high intensity area” for trafficking is suspiciously similar to debunked claims made elsewhere:
http://www.oregonlive.com/
portland/index.ssf/2011/01/portland_
child_sex_trafficking.html

Proposition 35 would create a new unfunded liability for our state, just when California’s government is in fiscal crisis and numerous cities have already filed for bankruptcy. A wealthy executive supplied over 90% of Proposition 35’s campaign donations—http://www.huffingtonpost.com/
2012/07/07/californians-against-
sexual-exploitation-act_n_1656311.html—but his money won’t be there to fund enforcement. Traffickers footing the bill is wishful thinking—forfeiture hasn’t paid for the “War on Drugs”, and will never adequately fund a “War on Prostitution” either.

Vote NO on Proposition 35!

MANUAL JIMENEZ, CFO

Erotic Service Providers Legal,
Education, and Research Project, Inc.

NORMA JEAN ALMODOVAR

STARCHILD