Crapo Supports Legislation to Strengthen Enforcement Against Facilitators of Sex Trafficking

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Idaho Senator Mike Crapo, who has served as the lead Republican sponsor of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), today reiterated his support for justice for trafficking victims and voted in favor of H.R. 1865, the Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act (SESTA), which passed in the Senate on a 97-2 vote.

“Human trafficking, foreign or domestic, is an abhorrent practice that should not be tolerated,” said Crapo.  “Too many children and women are still being victimized by the predatory sex trade in our nation, which has only grown with the advent of the Internet.  Today’s vote signals that the U.S. will not tolerate the use of online marketplaces to sell women and children for sex.  The changes to federal law the Senate passed today will help stop online sex trafficking and strengthen punishments against websites that knowingly facilitate sex trafficking crimes and will allow state attorneys generals to prosecute those websites to the fullest extent possible.”

SESTA will strengthen enforcement procedures related to Section 230 of the 1996 Communications Decency Act (CDA) by allowing the prosecution of third party service providers who knowingly facilitate sex trafficking on their websites.  SESTA will also preserve the CDA’s ‘Good Samaritan’ provision, which protects good actor websites who proactively block and screen for trafficking-related material.  H.R. 1865 passed the House of Representatives on February 27, 2018, and will now go to the White House for the President’s signature.

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