(Oakland) – Assemblymember Sandré Swanson (D – Oakland) today voiced support of the Oakland Police Department, the San Francisco Chief of Police, representatives from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and advocates for sexually exploited minors at a press conference to unveil the results of a regional undercover operation to get sexually exploited minors off the streets and into safe havens.  Mr. Swanson is pushing a measure in the legislature that would treat underage prostitutes as victims, AB 499, and applauds the Oakland Police Department for adopting the same, humane approach in their operation.

“I am very pleased that these young children are turned over to child advocates and not placed into the penal system. Underage prostitution is akin to domestic trafficking and our laws that treat children as criminals are misguided,” Assemblymember Swanson noted.

With the advent of the internet and text messaging, the exploitation of youth has rapidly increased. Since 2002, the number of sexually exploited minors in Northern California has tripled.  The law as it stands does not allow for the delivery of specialized services that sexually exploited children need, which is why Assemblymember Swanson introduced AB 499.  AB 499 would allow law enforcement to utilize and develop specialized services that focus on creating and providing a safe environment with sufficient counseling and social services to protect these victims of sexual exploitation. 

“Law enforcement, government, and community advocates need to work together to aggressively address this growing problem. Our children’s survival and welfare depends on it,” Mr. Swanson concluded.