It’s heartbreaking when our deputies come in contact with minors who have been sex trafficked – these innocent children forced to do such inhumane acts. And currently, when caught, the people who traffic these children face prison sentences that do not match the crime. But now, with Prop. 313, these monsters can meet true justice when apprehended and convicted in an Arizona court of law. The sheriffs across Arizona fully support the simplicity of Prop. 313 – convicted of 2nd degree felony child sex trafficking and face a lifetime in an Arizona prison cell with no opportunity for an early release. Natural life behind bars for a conviction on child sex trafficking charges means just that. Arizona isn’t just a thruway for sex trafficking to other parts of the country. We face our own problems. And it is most common to find children between 11 and 14 years old victimized – both by traffickers and rapists. In 2021 alone, the National Human Trafficking Hotline received 650 tips from Arizona that led to finding 337 victims. It’s reprehensible these vulnerable children – often from foreign shores, must undergo such horrible acts. Arizona voters can send a clear and convincing message to the people who engage in such heinous acts: Get caught and spend the rest of your life behind barbed wire in a state prison. No justification, or defense exists for these crimes against human decency. The sheriffs hope voters support Prop. 313 to increase the prison sentence not just because Arizona is a law and order state but to deter child sex trafficking in the first place. We must do everything we can to eliminate the incentive to sell children into the sex trade. By substantially increasing the penalties for sex trafficking, Arizona’s sheriffs hope we eliminate this stain on modern society. Sincerely
David Rhodes, President, Yavapai County Sheriff