Lawmakers in California have officially decriminalized child prostitution on January 1, meaning children selling sex on the streets can no longer be arrested by police. Bill SB 1322, entitled “SB-1322 Commercial sex acts: minors”, says: Existing law makes it a crime to solicit or engage in any act of prostitution. Existing law makes it a crime to loiter in any public place with the intent to commit prostitution. This bill would make the above provisions inapplicable to a child under 18 years of age who is alleged to have engaged in conduct that would, if committed by an adult, violate the above provisions. Naturalnews.com reports: SB 1322 was signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown on September 26, 2016. “Instead of being treated as criminals, youths to get supervision and counseling services,” explains a government press release. The law does not legalize adults soliciting sex with children, of course. Instead, it decriminalizes children and teens who engage in prostitution themselves. The idea, according to California lawmakers, is that such children should receive “counseling” instead of criminal charges. Notably, there is no age limit on how young a legalized prostitute can now be, meaning that even children as young as 12 years old can [...]
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