By Gabriella Cabrera
My team’s project is to create a chart with all fifty states and the District of Colombia outlining whether each state has a victim services fund for child sex trafficking victims and a statute creating that fund. States with these statutes obtain the funding mostly from financial penalties, such as fees, fines, and forfeited assets from perpetrators convicted of sex trafficking crimes against minors. Other funding sources for these funds include donations, taxes, appropriations, grants, and more. Fifteen states have at least one victim services fund for child sex trafficking victims: Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Washington. These funds help provide the financial resources to fund essential victim services statewide.
This blog title is a line in the movie Sound of Freedom, which reveals the horrors of child sex trafficking and the need to support victims. One way to support child sex trafficking victims is through these funds. These funds help provide the financial resources to fund essential victim services statewide.
The Center for Global Justice was a significant factor in my decision to attend Regent Law. Before law school, I knew I wanted to become a lawyer to help victims of human trafficking. When Dean Walton called me to tell me more about the Center, I was excited about the opportunity to help victims now, even before entering my career. Working with organizations that help human trafficking and other victims has been a great networking opportunity. I am constantly reassured that God is in this work when I see the success stories the Center and our partners accomplish.
This post was written by a Center for Global Justice Law Clerk. The views expressed in this post do not necessarily reflect those of Regent University, Regent Law School, or the Center for Global Justice.