The commercial sex trade is immense and involves everyone from young children to mature adults. The average age a child enters the sex trade is between 11 and 13 years old, and as many as 300,000 children in America are at risk of sexual exploitation annually. Statistics also show that Florida is the third largest area for human trafficking in the country. Those charged with child sex trafficking charges will require the services of a skilled sex crimes attorney to improve their chances of a favorable conclusion to their case.
The Florida child sex trafficking lawyers at The Umansky Law Firm have over 100 years of combined experience practicing criminal law. Our legal team consists of former state and local prosecutors who are abreast of the practices and tactics of the state when seeking a conviction. We can use this insight to engage in negotiation with the opposition and craft an impermeable defense to the presented charges. Reach out to us today to discover your criminal defense options.
Child sex trafficking is a type of human trafficking that involves “the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring, and/or receipt of a child for the purpose of exploitation before the child reaches 18 years of age.”
Federal law groups sex trafficking by force, coercion, or fraud with child sex trafficking and also implicates anyone who plays a role in and directly benefits from the sex trade. This includes everyone from the pimp to the driver to the person who facilitates locations for sexual acts to occur.
The level of involvement plays a minor role in penalizing child sex trafficking offenders. A motel owner who knowingly allows sex trafficking to occur on his premises is just as guilty as the person who posts a digital advertisement for the solicitation of sex with a minor. With both parties being equally guilty in the eyes of the law, they both face the same criminal penalties.
Human trafficking for commercial sexual activity is a first-degree felony under 18 U.S. Code § 1591. The minimum and maximum penalties for this crime drastically increase when the trafficking victim is a child. What is originally a maximum 30-year sentence for adult victims increases to:
Those facing charges for child sex trafficking may feel as if they are alone in their fight; however, the Orlando child sex trafficking defense lawyers at The Umansky Law Firm can help mitigate charges. The most efficient way of doing so is by implementing appropriate defense tactics. A common and effective defense to child sex trade is voluntary prostitution.
By asserting that the alleged victim knowingly and willingly engaged in sexual activities for payment, we can have charges lessened to charges like solicitation of prostitution or deriving support from the proceeds of prostitution which carry less severe penalties.
Brice Aikens is a board-certified criminal trial lawyer with years of experience defending those facing criminal accusations in the Greater Central Florida area. He has helped many others facing federal criminal charges and can do the same for you. Contact us today for a free case evaluation.
The Umansky Law Firm Criminal Defense & Injury Attorneys
