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Sex traffickers could have to register in NC

An N.C. Senate bill requiring convicted sex traffickers to register as sex offenders in North Carolina awaits Gov. Pat McCrory’s approval — a proposal proponents say is the first step to addressing a crime that often remains hidden.

Senate Bill 122 requires those convicted of sex trafficking or trafficking minors to register as sex offenders and wear GPS trackers.

The bill, which passed unanimously through the N.C. House and Senate, will probably be signed into law this week, said the bill’s primary sponsor, Sen. Thom Goolsby, R-New Hanover.

“We hope the bill helps potential victims by identifying perpetrators on the registry with the crime they committed, creating awareness of any danger they may pose,” he said.

The Polaris Project, a national organization that raises awareness about human trafficking, ranks North Carolina as a top-10 state for the crime. The bill will address some of the state’s shortcomings regarding the issue, said Sen. Ellie Kinnaird, D-Orange.

The state tends to attract sex trafficking because it hosts a large agricultural industry, military base and extensive transportation veins, said Caitlyn Dixon, co-chairwoman of Carolina Against Slavery and Trafficking, a Campus Y group.

The bill is a significant step in the right direction, Dixon said, increasing awareness about human trafficking by publicizing the personal information of offenders.

“It is progress because we are finally getting people aware of it on the local level, and it is one more tool to dampen down this difficult situation,” she said.

Senate Bill 683 — also known as the Safe Harbor bill — is another measure proposed by lawmakers to combat sex trafficking.

Goolsby said the bill is more comprehensive and stiffens penalties for participants in sex trafficking. A minor involved in sex trafficking would not be held liable for prostitution.

Similar to domestic violence cases, most traffickers, often the victim’s lover or relative, are not convicted because the victims decline to testify, Goolsby said.

And similar to domestic violence laws, the Safe Harbor bill is designed to encourage victims to testify.

“The Safe Harbor bill seeks to address this trend with new mandates on law enforcement and the court system to properly address the crime,” Goolsby said.

“The same prosecutorial aggression is required in sex trafficking of minors to ensure pimps don’t get off by convincing victims not to testify or scaring them away from pursuing prosecution.”

The bill will be passed to the Senate judiciary committee this week, he said.

Dixon said the state also needs to educate people about the signs of sex trafficking because victims often cannot help themselves.

“We need to educate our friends on the issue and let victims know that someone out there is looking out for them,” she said. “They are not alone.”

Contact the desk editor at state@dailytarheel.com.

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