Bills
| 3.23.22

Closing Internet Marketplaces That Host Advertisements for the Commercial Exploitation of Women and Minors (H.R. 4225)

Do you support or oppose this bill?

What is H.R. 4225?

(Updated July 18, 2017)

This bill would provide a penalty to owners of internet marketplaces that knowingly selling advertising that offers certain commercial sex acts. According to the bill's sponsor, Rep. Ann Wagner (R-MO), the bill would:

  • Add advertising to the types of conduct that constitute sex trafficking.
     
  • Would amend Section 1591 of the Federal Criminal Code, inserting “advertises” into the list of conduct that comprise the crime of federal sex trafficking.
     
  • Would put the advertiser of trafficked children under the age of 14 in prison for a minimum of 15 years to life.

Argument in favor

Absolutely every law that Congress can pass to aid in curtailing the trafficking of children for sex should be taken. Third-party advertisers aiding in the selling of children for sex deserve to see the inside of a prison. Prostitution of any kind destroys lives.

Argument opposed

Context aside, the Act has the potential to establish a legal precedent implying that advertisers are responsible for the content of their clients.

Impact

If enacted, the bill might eliminate sex-for-sale components of sites like backpage.com and aid in the elimination of sites in the deep web (sites typically not locatable via web searches done on standard web browsers like Safari or Mozilla) devoted to sex trafficking, human slavery and child pornography.

Cost of H.R. 4225

The CBO estimates that implementing the Act would have no significant cost to the federal government. Further, and because those prosecuted and convicted under the Act could be subject to criminal fines, the federal government might collect additional fines if the legislation is enacted.

Additional Info

-Representative Wagner, in her press release, offers these figures relating to human trafficking in the United States:

  • Human trafficking generates $9.5 billion yearly in the United States. (United Nations)
     
  • Approximately 300,000 children are at risk of being prostituted in the United States. (U.S. Department of Justice)
     
  • The average age of entry into prostitution for a child victim in the United States is 13-14 years old. (U.S. Department of Justice)
     
  • A pimp can make $150,000-$200,000 per child each year and the average pimp has 4 to 6 girls. (U.S. Justice Department, National Center for Missing and Exploited Children)