Jackson Incident Inspires Human Trafficking Bill
A bill that saw its origins in some circumstances in Jackson has made its way through the Senate Judiciary Committee and this week heads to the floor of the Senate. Teton County Senator Leland Christensen says House Bill 133, short titled “Human Trafficking” seeks to address cases where an immigrant is brought into the state and expected to perform tasks under duress or perform sexual favors. He says there may be an organizer of a ring to bring people in who will be considered the original leader of the trafficking. However, it also addresses others involved in the chain whether their role is for transportation or solicitation of others to help in the process. Furthermore, in the cases of the sex side of the trade, the bill would prosecute customers. Christensen says one major case that helped trigger the proposed law involved a young girl who was brought to Jackson Hole from Mexico in 2004 and forced into prostitution.
