A new bill in California aims to enhance law enforcement’s capacity to obtain search warrants in cases involving the solicitation of children for sex, expanding legislative efforts to combat sex trafficking.
Current California law allows for the issuance of search warrants in cases of human trafficking and other felonies where there is probable cause to believe that evidence can prove the commission of a felony.
However, Los Angeles City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto’s office notes that “solicitation of a minor for prostitution is a misdemeanor and, therefore, it is not a permissible ground to issue a warrant.”
The proposed bill would modify the penal code to include “evidence in furtherance of sex trafficking of a person under 18 years of age,” according to the latest version of the amended bill.
Related Stories
The California Department of Justice, in collaboration with law enforcement and other entities, is actively combating trafficking through special operations, conducting numerous address checks on sex offenders, and providing training to police statewide to safeguard exploited children, according to a recent fact sheet released by the department.
