Attorneys General Send Letter to Congress Calling for an Amendment to the Communications Decency Act
July 24, 2013
Las Vegas, NV – Nevada Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto joined a bi-partisan national coalition of 49 Attorneys General calling on Congress to amend the law to help fight prostitution and child sex trafficking. In a letter to key members of Congress, the Attorneys General advocated that Congress amend the Communications Decency Act to provide criminal jurisdiction to state and local prosecutors.
“Our laws must reflect the changes in technology,” said Masto. “As we move to the digital age, federal law needs to provide the necessary tools to prosecute those who promote the sexual exploitation of children.”
The Communications Decency Act of 1996 was drafted when the internet was in its infancy. The original purpose of the Act was to protect children from accessing indecent material online, but courts have interpreted certain provisions of the Act to provide immunity from State prosecution to online classified ad sites, such as Backpage.com, that promote and profit from human trafficking.
Prostitution is a local crime. Interstate travel, federal property, and\or the involvement of a minor are factors that could make prostitution a federal crime. While the Communications Decency Act provides criminal authority to the federal government, the Attorneys General believe that criminal jurisdiction needs to be extended to help combat these crimes. Local prosecutors report that prostitution solicitations have largely moved online. Backpage.com, for example, generates an estimated $3 million to $4 million per month in revenue.
General Masto is working to make systematic changes to combat human trafficking. During the 77th session of the Nevada Legislature, she introduced and helped pass Assembly Bill 67, which establishes the crime of sex trafficking of children and adults, makes victims eligible for State assistance, and allows them to sue their traffickers.
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