Billings promoting legislation to protect sexually exploited children

Bill would keep from prosecuting
children forced into prostitution, other activity 

One La Crosse lawmaker is hoping that progress will be made soon to protect sexually exploited children.

Representative Jill Billings is a co-sponsor of the anti-trafficking bill, which got a committee hearing in Madison last week.

She’s continuing to promote a bill introduced last year which would avoid prosecuting children who are forced into prostitution and other illegal activity. Billings says the state needs to recognize that teenagers lured into prostitution are victims, not criminals.

“They don’t need to arrest kids for prostitution in order to keep them safe, now that the Dept. of Children and Families (is) taking them in and providing services for them,” Billings said, adding that the trafficking measure has strong bi-partisan support, including the backing of state attorney general Brad Schimel.

Some critics of the proposal suggest that it might actually prevent law enforcement from providing help to the victims of trafficking.

Billings says the teens are more helpful to police if they’re assured that they won’t face criminal charges.

“When we bring them in they’re more likely to cooperate,” she said. “They’re more likely to help build a case against the traffickers.”

Billings says about 20 other states already have approved similar laws, generally called ‘safe harbor’ bills. Minnesota and Illinois are among those states.