Juvenile Law Commons^™

There Is No Such Thing As A Child Prostitute: Why Decriminalization Is Only The First Step In California, Edrina Nazaradeh

Pepperdine Law Review

Prostituted minors are victims of the deceitful schemes of pimps, traffickers, and Johns. While there is widespread agreement that these minors are victims, states have taken different approaches to addressing this heinous crime. Generally, states either prosecute prostituted minors or adopt Safe Harbor laws that grant prostituted minors immunity from prosecution. California joined the majority of states when it passed Senate Bill 1322. Effective January 1, 2017, this bill amended California’s Penal Code to grant children under eighteen years of age immunity from prosecution for prostitution. This Comment argues that Senate Bill 1322 properly amended California law by aligning with …