(The Center Square) — South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster has signed legislation that expands the state’s sex trafficking law to create a new felony “child luring” charge and gives trafficking victims recourse to clear their records.
S. 142, which McMaster, a Republican, “ceremonially” signed on Thursday, creates an address confidentiality program that authorizes using “designated addresses” to protect victims.
The measure also allows human trafficking victims to ask a court to expunge non-violent offense convictions stemming from trafficking from their records. Additionally, human trafficking victims under 18 years old cannot be prosecuted for prostitution, non-violent misdemeanors or class F felonies.
“We need to prevent victims from being prosecuted for crimes they committed because they were entangled in the human trafficking ring,” Attorney General Alan Wilson said in a statement.
According to a fiscal estimate from the South Carolina Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Office, the measure could cost South Carolina taxpayers.
For example, the attorney general’s office said administering the address confidentiality program will increase General Fund spending by $386,000 starting in fiscal 2024-25. The amount includes $89,000 for office space and supplies and $297,000 for three full-time equivalent employees: a program coordinator and two administrative coordinators.
Additionally, the estimate found that the measure could increase the number of motions filed in courts across the Palmetto State and potentially increase fines and fees collected.
The Department of Corrections said the annual total cost per inmate in fiscal 2022-23 was $37,758, of which $34,570 was state-funded. However, corrections department officials said they could likely manage inmate population changes stemming from the measure using existing staff and without additional appropriations.
