Protecting Our Children

I want to let you know about an important new project we're involved with at the American Center for Law and Justice.

We've teamed up with Shared Hope International, an organization committed to combating sex trafficking, on the Protected Innocence Legislative Framework project.  As part of the project, the ACLJ and Shared Hope - working together - will review each states laws affecting domestic minor sex trafficking, including human trafficking, commercial sexual exploitation of children, sexual assault, and prostitution, to identify deficiencies and vagueness where they exist.

As explained in a report detailing the methodology to be used in this project, domestic minor sex trafficking is the the prostitution, pornography, or sexual performance of U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents under the age of 18 in the United States.   The fact is that it is commercial sexual exploitation of children. 

The purpose of this project is to analyze how effectively state laws address everything from victims rights to criminal deterrence to law enforcement tools and training.

It's our hope that this project will encourage states to make the needed changes in their laws to protect our children - the most vulnerable members of our society. 

You can read the report and legal analysis here.  We'll keep you posted on developments as they unfold.