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Some of us would say that it is about time; but really, I’m happy the day has finally come. I don’t always agree with Gov. Schwarzenegger, but this time, I think he’s done the right thing. He recently signed into law AB 499–legislation that was introduced by CA Rep. Sandre Swanson to protect sexually exploited minors. For years, girls as young as ten and eleven years old have been arrested for prostitution and charged with criminal acts, while their sexual exploitation has gone untreated. Those who have been working on these issues know that young women who sell their bodies do so out of desperation and coercion. These children are often exploited by older men and pedophiles posing as “johns,” and they need a variety of services to stop the cycle of sexual violence to which they have been exposed. Decriminalizing their exploitation is a step in the right direction. Now the real work begins.
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