CALIFORNIA (Isabelle Zehnder reporting)
KlaasKids Foundation, founded by Marc Klaas, is one of the advocacy organizations endorsing the Californians Against Sexual Exploitation (CASE Act) initiative slated for the November 2012 ballot.
Californians who are concerned about human trafficking and online predators now have a chance to roll up their sleeves, dig in, and get involved by supporting CASE Act.
One of the first questions that's often raised when a woman or child goes missing is could he or she be a victim of human trafficking, showing how prevalent the problem is.
Californians Against Sexual Exploitation
Advocates, political leaders and survivors gathered in San Francisco Wednesday to formally kickoff the campaign to gather the 800,000 signatures needed to put the CASE Act on the ballot this November.
The proposed CASE Act ballot initiative will:
- Deter traffickers with higher penalties and fines
- Use fines to fund victim services
- Increase prison terms for human traffickers
- Remove barriers to prosecute child sex traffickers
- Mandate training for law enforcement officers
- Require convicted sex traffickers to register as sex offenders
- Require all sex offenders to disclose Internet accounts
- Protect victims in court proceedings
Comprehensive information can be found at www.caseact.org.
According to the CASE Act Jan. 11, press release, California is a hot spot for domestic and international human trafficking because of its large population, international borders, large economy, extensive ports, and metropolitan regions.
At the same time, California received an “F” grade in a recent national report on laws to protect children against sex trafficking.
KlaasKids Foundation
In 1993 Marc Klass' 12-year-old daughter, Polly, was abducted from her bedroom and later found murdered. Klaas said he and his wife lost a piece of their soul when they lost Polly.
It took years for him to find his new normal and once he did, he was unstoppable. He is one of the country's leading advocates for missing children.
Klaas hopes to help raise awareness and unite Californians to take action. He wrote on his blog:
“I am calling on the good citizens of California to support the CASE Act. Californians are very clear about where they stand on criminal justice and victims’ rights issues and the CASE Act is yet another opportunity to make good policy.”
Click here for ways you can help.
He said that two overlooked areas of concern addressed by the CASE Act are human trafficking and online predation. He wrote:
“The CASE Act will increase prison terms for human traffickers and increase fines for human traffickers up to $1.5M to fund victim services. It will remove the need to prove force to prosecute sex trafficking of a minor as well as mandate human trafficking training for law enforcement. Sex traffickers will be required to register as sex offenders, and all sex offenders will be required to disclose internet accounts and identifiers. Finally the CASE Act will prohibit the use of sexual history to impeach or prove criminal liability of trafficked victims.”
The CASE Act Fact Sheet provides information on the initiative, including statistics. If you have questions, they may be answered on the CASEAct.org FAQ page.
California voters who agree with the initiative are asked to sign the Petition.
Marc Klaas understands all too well that there are "monsters among us" who prey on women and children. He has shown that Polly’s death would not be an end. Instead it would be a beginning in the fight to stop those who prey on innocent children.
Beware of online predators
One issue Klaas wasn't faced with when Polly went missing, and that he understands all too well today, is the prolific use of the Internet and social networking sites – a virtual world that knows no borders, is untamed, and is, for the most part, lacking in regulations, oversight, or accountability.
Many American kids and teens today not only have access to a computer, many own their own and have unrestricted access to the Internet.
This opens the door to those who have the propensity to harm them.
Parents often view the internet as a safe and fun place and don’t realize that at the next keystroke their loved one could encounter a predator waiting to pounce on his next victim.
It’s important to remember that children, teens, and even women often have no idea what they're venturing into when they begin interacting with strangers online.
Sexual predators and other criminals are keen on where children, teens, and women convene online, joining into their discussions on Facebook, Twitter, forums, game sites with discussion boards, to name a few. They lure their victims with the intent to harm them.
Who's there to protect them? Once a bond between predator and victim is developed, the predator is often able to determine the location of their victim, and in some cases, have been able to convince their victims to meet with them.
We've witnessed disastrous outcomes, some ending in abduction, rape, and/or murder.
It has become clear that there are too many predators luring around too many corners who apparently feel they’ve gained the upper hand. They see time and again when other “monsters” just like them get away with their heinous crimes.
There’s no doubt they learn from one another, many of them congregating online.
Marc Klaas wants to help stop these monsters in their tracks. That's why he's in support of the CASE Act initiative slated for the November 2012 California ballot.
January 11, 2012 Press Release:
CEffort to Combat Human Trafficking Seeks Place on November Ballot in California.
Follow this National Missing Persons news writer:
Comments