(The Center Square) – Making a strike against human trafficking, prostitution solicitation in North Carolina is a felony.
The law changed Sunday through a section of Human Trafficking Changes, also known as House Bill 971 this session for the General Assembly. ‘
Republican Reps. Kevin Crutchfield of Cabarrus County, Dr. Tim Reeder of Pitt County, Dean Arp of Union County, and Wayne Sasser of Stanly County were primary sponsors for the legislation signed June 28 by Gov. Roy Cooper after final passage of 42-0 in the Senate and 114-0 in the House of Representatives.
Previously a Class 1 misdemeanor, it will be a Class I felony for “any person who solicits another for the purpose of prostitution” and is found guilty. It’s a Class G felony for soliciting a minor and a Class E felony for soliciting someone with a mental disability, per General Statute 14-205.1(a) in Session Law 2024-26.
“The best way to prevent human trafficking is to prevent the demand,” Pam Strickland told the Greenville Morning Rotary Club earlier this month.
She’s the founder and CEO of North Carolina Stop Human Trafficking. Her involvement in awareness and the fight to stop it began in 2010. She puts this enactment into the same conversation of most memorable achievements the last 15 years with the 2013 passage of the Safe Harbor Law that protects minors forced into commercial sex from being charged with crimes.
The organization she leads has helped facilitate more than 2,000 trainings for members of law enforcement, health care providers, school staff and social workers. More than 2,700 were trained in calendar year 2023.
A requirement for disclosure of certain criminal history in child custody pleadings also became law on Sunday.
Previously, several other parts of the nine-page proposal have been enacted. Immediately at time of governor’s signing, there was an expansion of training and guidance on human trafficking; and removed from inclusion as public records were Housing Finance Agency documents for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and human trafficking.
Effective since July 1 in the bill is a requirement to provide access to campus police of Criminal Justice Law Enforcement Automated Data System, known as CJLEADS. Effective since Oct. 1 are a modification of laws relation to victim confidentiality; prohibition of viewing pornography on government networks and devices; and a modification was made to the definition of victim in the Crime Victim’s Compensation Act.
