People soliciting sex from 16-, 17-year-olds will face felony charge, per new law

San Diego leaders Wednesday gathered to discuss a bill going into effect Thursday intended to shift sex trafficking liabilities from exploited people to those doing the exploiting while further protecting children.

Assembly Bill 379, which received support at both the city and county level, increases civil penalties for sex trafficking crimes committed by businesses, along with making it a crime for any person to loiter in a public place with the intent to purchase commercial sex.

The law, co-authored by Assemblywoman Maggy Krell, D-Sacramento, also creates a Survivor Support Fund, via fees and fines paid by offenders, to provide grants to community-based organizations that provide direct services and outreach to victims of sex trafficking and exploitation. It also extends legal protections to 16- and 17-year-olds.

“Assembly Bill 379 gives our city stronger, smarter tools to address prostitution and human trafficking by holding buyers accountable and treating exploited individuals as victims,” Mayor Todd Gloria said at Wednesday’s news conference. “This law reflects our commitment to public safety, neighborhood quality of life, and human dignity. It takes effect on Thursday, and we will waste no time in implementing it here in San Diego.”

Gloria was joined by San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan and San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl to express approval of the law.

“Buying children who, under the la,w cannot consent to sex can only be described as slavery,” Stephan said. “I fought for 10 years to make sure that those who buy children for sex are held fully accountable under the law and finally that time is here with AB 379.”

The bill clarifies language in existing legislation, giving law enforcement more opportunity to intervene in cases of suspected or proven sex trafficking.

According to the leaders at Wednesday’s news conference, AB 379 came partially in response to Senate Bill 357, which in 2022 repealed a law criminalizing loitering with the intent to commit prostitution.

“Past legislation significantly limited our ability to address prostitution and human trafficking. Assembly Bill 379 changes that,” Wahl said. “This law gives our officers the tools they need to intervene, protect victims, particularly minors, and hold offenders accountable. We are grateful to our elected leaders for recognizing the urgency of this issue and supporting legislation that strengthens enforcement and prioritizes victim services.”

The current law states that children up to age 15 are protected as minors in felony sex trafficking cases.

“This bill does not criminalize the men, women and children caught up in the exploitation,” but “instead rightfully focuses on the trafficker and buyers,” San Diego County Supervisor Jim Desmond said earlier this year.