As Texas ranks second-worst in the U.S. for human trafficking, a bill that would stonewall sex offenders from posting bond awaits Gov. Greg Abbott’s signature.
The Lone Star State has a system that allows offenders back on the streets, creating a vicious carousel.
“Human trafficking does not discriminate. It forces men, women and children into a cycle of labor and abuse,” State Sen. Jane Nelson (R-Flower Mound) said on social media. “I co-sponsored HB 390 to help combat this horrible crime and prevent future victims. The Legislature sent this bill to the Governor’s desk.”
Human trafficking involves transporting someone to exploit them by forced labor, marriage, prostitution, or organ removal. There are 20 million to 40 million people worldwide right now who are enslaved to human trafficking.
House Bill 390 relates to requirements for human trafficking awareness and prevention in commercial lodging establishments. Twelve Democrats and four Republicans, including Nelson, sponsored the legislation. As of May 6, it has been sent to Abbott’s desk.
A criminal district attorney in the San Antonio area ripped the federal government for releasing witnesses in human smuggling cases. Kendall County Criminal District Attorney Nicole Bishop called out President Joe Biden’s administration for inadequately supporting local governments, specifically Kendall County, as they combat the ever-worsening crisis of human trafficking, human smuggling, and other violence on the southern border.
According to Bishop, law enforcement and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security gather as much information that they can and then have to let everyone go. This creates a process of going to extreme ends to receive a full confession from a sex offender or any witnesses to detain the offender.
“State agencies are ready and willing to do what we can to protect our communities from having the cartels operate but lack the resources available to the federal government,” Bishop wrote. “Local jurisdictions, like Kendall County, have an extremely difficult challenge to effectively handle these crimes without state or federal assistance.”
Texas is the second-worst state in the nation for the number of human-trafficking cases reported to the national hotline, according to Crime Stoppers Houston.
It is estimated that only 0.04 survivors of human trafficking cases are recognized on the global scale, meaning that the majority of human trafficking cases go undetected. Approximately 71% of those enslaved are female while 29% are males. The average age of a teen who enters into U.S. sex trade is 12-14.
Although it is hard to measure, studies have shown that 12% to 24% of sex-offenders will re-offend. The push for tougher laws for sex offenders in the state stemmed from offenders like Jacque Adams, a 26-year-old male who is wanted on four counts of trafficking and compelling prostitution.
Adams ordered his victims to tattoo “King Jacque” on their necks. While he was out on bond for his charges, he was indicted for six other charges in Clark County, Nevada.
“What this is proving is that repeat violent offenders that enslave other humans to sell them for commercial sex are not being punished and held,” Lana Turner, mother of a human trafficking survivor, told KHOU 11.