Committee urges laws on human trafficking

BOISE – Human trafficking exists in Idaho and legislators must pass laws that help victims and punish offenders, Republican Sen. Denton Darrington of Delco told legislative leaders Tuesday.

“We don’t have the kind of problem they have in California and New York and the Miami area,” Darrington said. “But it does occur, and we have testimony to that effect.”

Darrington co-chaired an interim committee charged with researching the prevalence of human trafficking in the state and recommending legislation.

The committee was formed because of concerns that human trafficking involving polygamists’ wives – many of them children – is moving into Idaho from Canada. Lawmakers have also heard rumors from constituents about child brides being brought up from Mexico and men bringing home wives from other countries and using them for prostitution or forced labor.

The committee proposes a maximum prison sentence of 25 years for anyone found guilty of human trafficking who also is found guilty of aggravated assault, felony injury to a child, sexual exploitation of a child or other serious crimes.

The proposal defines human trafficking two ways: a commercial sex act done through force, fraud or coercion, or in which the victim is younger than 18; or when a person is obtained for work through force, fraud or coercion with the intent of subjecting him or her to slavery or other involuntary services.

Recommendations also call for the attorney general to issue a report outlining how existing victim and witness laws affect human trafficking victims and how laws can be improved, as well as how existing social services help or do not help victims and how they can be improved.

Though documented cases of human trafficking in Idaho are rare, between 14,500 and 17,500 people enter the United States each year as a result of the practice, and some are bound to end up here, Kevin Maloney, an assistant U.S. attorney in Boise, told the committee at its July meeting.

The committee, made up of four Republicans and two Democrats, heard from law enforcement officials, women’s advocacy group representatives and others during two meetings last year.

Committee co-chair Rep. Debbie Field, R-Boise, will introduce the legislation in the House in the coming weeks.

Darrington’s presentation was brief – about five minutes – which he said reflected the scope of the situation.

“It’s not long, and it’s not complex,” he said.