Bill holds online platforms accountable for child trafficking

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(The Center Square) - The author of new Arizona legislation is attempting to strengthen child sex trafficking laws by creating penalties for online platforms.

State Sen. Mark Finchem, R-Prescott, last week pre-filed Senate Bill 1077, which creates a new Arizona criminal statute for a person or company that “keeps, manages, operates or owns an interactive computer service” such as a website or app that facilitates prostitution, pandering or child sex trafficking involving minors.

Finchem told The Center Square that he wants to make sure online platforms are not openly soliciting or promoting “the trafficking of children.”

These online platforms will send emails attempting “to get people to respond to their invitation ‘to use their service,’  ” Finchem said, adding that these platforms are “essentially phishing people.”

He noted many of these platforms are international and advertise relationships with “young girls” as a “virtual escort service.”

With the creation of the new statute, people who knowingly traffic victims between the ages of 15 and 17 will face a Class 5 felony charge, which carries a potential 2.5-year imprisonment if convicted.

SB 1077 says if the victim is under 15 years old and the perpetrators have direct knowledge, they could face a maximum sentence of 27 years. The bill would punish these people under Arizona’s dangerous crimes against children statute.

On top of this, people who run platforms that expose children to sexual material without a verification method can face a Class 4 felony charge, the bill says.

People convicted of this crime could face up to 3.75 years of imprisonment.

Finchem said age verification processes help online platforms fight child sex trafficking.

Besides this bill, Finchem told The Center Square that he will focus on reforming Arizona's family courts in the upcoming legislative session. He added that a total of eight bills could be introduced.

Finchem called these packages of bills “a pretty significant reform of family court in Arizona.”