Bill Strengthens Child Prostitution Laws
Omnibus bill includes Dyson’s SB 157

Juneau – Sen. Fred Dyson, R-Eagle River, announced that a bill he sponsored, Senate Bill 157, has been amended into House Bill 90, which passed the Senate today.

SB 157 increases the crimes of prostituting a child to felonies, thus increasing the jail time, fines and providing forfeiture of property used in these horrendous crimes against children. Including the SB 157 provisions, HB 90 also now makes the employment of a prostitute a crime in state law. This is the first “John Law” in Alaska statutes.

“Prostitution and trafficking children is all too common in Alaska, and scores of children are being prostituted in Alaska each year. The impact on the children is devastating and it is way past time we put the predators in prison for long stretches,” Sen. Dyson said.

Sen. Dyson’s legislation is based upon recommendations from the Federal Trafficking in Persons Task Force in Alaska.

Sen. Dyson said more work needs to be done, including finding safe, secure housing and treatment for the children show are victims of prostitution. Prostituting children is very lucrative and the pimps are a great danger to the children. The legislature appropriated $52,000 this year for security equipment at the proposed housing unit at the new Salvation Army facility in Anchorage.

State authority for the state to take custody of prostituted children and money for housing and treatment will be a project for the summer and fall, Sen. Dyson said.

The House is expected to approve the amended bill in the next two days.