On August 15th, New York governor Andrew Cuomo signed the Child Sex Trafficking Act into law in the presence of LifeWay Network and many other anti-trafficking organizations. The bill, sponsored by Assemblywoman Amy Paulin and state Senator Andrew Lanza, closed a loophole that required prosecutors to prove that children and other underage victims of trafficking were not consensual participants, thereby forcing them to testify in court in order for their traffickers to come to justice. This new law eliminates that snag and will pave an easier path for traffickers to be served with felony convictions.
Check out a few photos from this historic day!
Governor Andrew Cuomo
With the Arab-American Family Support Center
With partners from UNICEF, Covenant House, and Freedom Ladder