(Sacramento) - Assemblymember Sandré R. Swanson's (D-Oakland) landmark legislation to protect sexually exploited youth cleared the Assembly Appropriations Committee on an 11-0 vote.  AB499 provides a much needed safety net for children under 18 who have been forced into prostitution, child pornography, and human trafficking.  This bill gives law enforcement, government agencies and child advocates the necessary tools to protect young victims of commercial sexual exploitation. The bill establishes incurs minimal costs for establishing a pilot program, which triggered its hearing in the Appropriations Committee.

Under current law, these sexually exploited minors (SEMs) are arrested and processed through the criminal justice system, but do not receive the social services necessary to keep them out of harm’s way when they are released.  "We want to make sure that exploited youth are being treated as victims and not as criminals.  AB 499 brings true reform to the way we approach, define and treat young people who have been exploited," stated Mr. Swanson.

Specifically, AB 499 addresses the need for specialized services in response to the rapid growth in SEMs cases due in part to child predators utilizing technology to promote child prostitution.  This bill will:

• Increase coordination between local government, law enforcement agencies, and child advocates, by establishing a program of supervision (informal court probation) for SEMs accused of prostitution offenses.
• Create a pilot program in the County of Alameda to implement a standardized training curriculum on the sexual exploitation of minors.
• Require that the training curriculum be established and made available to local law enforcement and criminal justice agencies.

In addition to protecting sexually exploited minors, Assemblymember Swanson’s bill also emphasizes that the sexual predators profiting from such exploitation are no longer invisible to prosecution.  Michael Corbett, representing Alameda County, and Michael Bolden, representing the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employers, AFL-CIO, both spoke in favor of the bill. Stated Mr. Corbett, “The County of Alameda supports this bill because it is an important first step in addressing a very serious problem.” 

Assemblymember Swanson pointed out that, “the criminal justice system finds itself unable to cope with the rapid rise in SEMs.  AB 499 is an attempt to end the cycle of abuse which leads to a lifetime of crime and an unnecessary criminal record. This bill creates a unified platform to serve and protect SEMs without criminalizing children.  Furthermore, the pilot program this bill creates will establish best practices that counties throughout the state can follow.”

AB 499 now goes to the Assembly floor for a full vote, which will take place next week.