ALBANY, N.Y. (NEXSTAR) — Hollywood royalty Ashley Judd has lent her celebrity to the Sex Trade Survivors Justice and Equality Act, a bill proposed in the New York State Legislature. She joined lawmakers and survivors at the New York state Capitol on Tuesday to call for passing the bill, which would protect sex trafficking survivors while targeting those who exploit them
Survivors at the rally shared personal stories of being trafficked, manipulated and criminalized. Advocates— representing groups like the Coalition Against Trafficking in Women and Sanctuary for Families — said prostitution is not a chosen profession.
“Prostitution is not the world’s oldest profession,” according to Cristian Eduardo, who was trafficked as an immigrant. “Prostitution is the world’s oldest oppression.” He said the trade preys on economic desperation and is not a path to empowerment.
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Supporters argued current law punishes crime victims — the product of the commercial sex trade — instead of the johns, pimps and traffickers who profit off them. Sponsored by Sen. Liz Krueger and Assemblymember Pamela Hunter and backed by a backed by a coalition of advocates, the legislation would build on New York’s Safe Harbour Law.
The bill — S2005/A1465 — changes New York’s laws on prostitution and sex trafficking. It would close loopholes, such as the one that let Jeffrey Epstein escape charges for trafficking victims to himself.
The bill would repeal old laws on prostitution that criminalize the act itself without recognizing the nuances, like victimization. Someone charged with prostitution can potentially use coercion as a new legal defense outlined in the bill. The court would have to consider whether the sex worker in question proved they were forced or tricked into the industry and are actually a victim.
If they meet certain criteria, someone convicted under the old prostitution laws could also have their prior convictions automatically vacated and expunged. The bill also prevents police or prosecutors from treating condoms or other reproductive health devices alone as evidence of prostitution.
If the bill were to pass, law enforcement would have to create trauma-informed procedures and training specifically on how to help victims of human trafficking and sexual exploitation access services. Instead of predetermined, potentially arbitrary fines, the bill would prorate the financial penalty against a person’s net taxable income if they’re convicted. Money collected through such fines would also go into a new “Victims of Sexual Exploitation Fund” earmarked to support survivors of trafficking.
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Judd, herself a survivor and longtime activist, championed the bill as a way to protect vulnerable women, LGBTQ people and people of color. She said that as long as buyers face no consequences and loopholes allow traffickers to escape prosecution, the sex trade will continue.
“The responsibility lies with the people who purchased exploited sex,” Judd said.
Krueger said the bill incorporates input from survivors, and Hunter noted that sex trafficking happens all over New York State, not just in major cities. Other legislators cosponsoring the bill include State Sen. John Liu and Assemblymember Amy Paulin, both present at the news conference and who agreed survivors should not face criminal charges when traffickers don’t.
