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.