Proposed Bills Address Human Trafficking in Nebraska

By: Bill Steckis Email

Updated: Fri 5:42 AM, Jan 18, 2013

"We need to do more to discourage people from taking part in human trafficking and that includes people who want to buy sex," said Lincoln Senator Amanda McGill.

LB 255 and LB 256 would be a start. It would define human trafficking for the purpose of attacking it better. It would also address the child abuse aspect of the crime.

"We are also making sure that anyone under the age of 18 who would be traditionally considered prostitution won't be charged with prostitution. Really many types of prostitution are forms of human trafficking and so we urge people to change the way we look at who are picked up because some of them are being manipulated into doing it. They are threatened into being prostitutes by someone running that ring," said McGill.

Those who are caught running a ring would have their names posted on a future website if the bill passes.

"Many of them are married and they think their family will never find out about it and they live in another part of the state and see even if they were caught, they think their family will not find out about it. So I think there is something to be said for shaming people out of this crime," said McGill.

McGill said the legislation is the second part of a three pronged attack on the issue. The first phase was the assembling of a human trafficking task force last year.

Phase two is this legislation proposed this year. Phase three would be implemented next year when she will address the rehabilitation of victims

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