[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 43 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 43

  Expressing the sense of the Senate that children trafficked in the 
    United States should be treated as victims, and not criminals, 
 especially during the upcoming Super Bowl, an event around which many 
           children are at risk of being trafficked for sex.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            January 28, 2015

 Mr. Portman (for himself and Mr. Blumenthal) submitted the following 
    resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
  Expressing the sense of the Senate that children trafficked in the 
    United States should be treated as victims, and not criminals, 
 especially during the upcoming Super Bowl, an event around which many 
           children are at risk of being trafficked for sex.

Whereas according to the Department of Justice, there are currently an estimated 
        293,000 children in the United States at risk of commercial sexual 
        exploitation;
Whereas the victims of child sex trafficking are often hidden in plain view, and 
        may be found standing around bus stops, staying in runaway youth 
        shelters, or advertised for commercial sex online;
Whereas the average age of entry into sex trafficking is between just 12 and 14 
        years old;
Whereas child victims of trafficking are often abducted or lured into running 
        away by traffickers and then routinely raped, drugged, and beaten into 
        submission, and sometimes even branded;
Whereas it is widely recognized that the beloved American tradition of the Super 
        Bowl, an event that draws tens of thousands of fans to the host city, 
        like other major sporting events, leads to a surge in the sex 
        trafficking of underage girls and boys in the host city; and
Whereas traffickers aggressively advertise and sell sex trafficking victims on 
        sites like Backpage.com during the Super Bowl in order to meet the 
        increased demand from those flocking to the host city: Now, therefore, 
        be it
    Resolved, That the Senate agrees that--
            (1) law enforcement, the juvenile justice system, and 
        social services should treat all children trafficked for sex as 
        victims; and
            (2) Federal and State law enforcement agencies should make 
        every effort to arrest and prosecute both traffickers and 
        buyers of children for sex, in accordance with the Trafficking 
        Victims Protection Act and State child protection laws against 
        abuse and statutory rape, and should take all necessary 
        measures to protect the children of the United States from 
        harm.
                                 <all>