In California, purchasing or soliciting a kid for sex is considered a misdemeanor, punishable by a $10,000 fine, a minimum of two days in jail, and a maximum sentence of one year in jail.
The law should protect children of all ages, and purchasing a minor for sex should not result in a small fee and two to three days in county jail. It might have been reasonable to apply this punishment for yelling or shouting at someone, but it is absurd for abusing a child.
With SB 1414, a felony that would categorize the offense and carry a potential sentence of up to four years in jail and a $25,000 fine, Republican state senator Shannon Grove attempted to alter that. However, the committee members pushed hostile amendments on Senator Grove and passed the bill out of committee without her permission, rather than voting on the bill as it was originally designed. Rather than classifying the purchase of all children as a felony, the committee has now designated the solicitation or purchase of minors for sex as a wobbler. This means that the offense can still be punished as a misdemeanor, with a maximum penalty of $10,000 fine and up to two days in jail.
https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240SB1414
Senator Grove expressed her disappointment, saying, “I’m incredibly disappointed that not only did my colleagues reject my proposal to make the buying of children for sex a prison felony, but that they altered my bill without my consent, blindside me.”
“Californian voices have been heard throughout the state, and they want this legislation amended. Senator Grove said, “Unfortunately, the public safety committee members continue to take a soft-on-crime stance at the expense of California’s most vulnerable, our children.”
The buyer would regrettably still be exempt from jail time as a crime could only be filed if the minor who was recruited or bought was 15 years of age or below. Only when the victim and the buyer are older by more than ten years and the buyer has a prior conviction for buying a kid under 16 and is found guilty of buying a child under 16 again, would the buyer be required to register as a tier one sex offender (10 years).
Children that are trafficked experience a wide range of health-related problems. They endure physical and sexual abuse, psychological abuse, inadequate nutrition, subpar living circumstances, and exposure to a variety of diseases while in captivity. These experiences may have a permanent negative impact on their reproductive, mental, and physical health. In the end, the perpetrator only receives two days in jail, and the kid is exposed to depravity, which makes it difficult for the youngster to have a positive outlook on life and faith in the goodness of others.
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