California governor signs law increasing penalty for soliciting minors to a felony

By TRÂN NGUYỄN The Associated Press

FILE - California Gov. Gavin Newsom talks with Senate Republican Leader Shannon Grove, of Bakersfield, Calif., after giving his first State of the State address to a joint session of the Legislature at the state Capitol in Sacramento, Calif., Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2019. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, File)[ASSOCIATED PRESS/Rich Pedroncelli]

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The penalty for soliciting and buying sex from minors under 16 will be raised to a felony under a new California law signed by Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday.

Current state laws limit the penalties for soliciting a minor to a misdemeanor charge. In addition to making it a felony if the victims were under 16, the new law would also allow prosecutors to charge repeat offenders with a felony if the victims were at least 16 years old.

“Today marks an incredible victory for California children,” said Republican Sen. Shannon Grove, who authored the measure. “With the signing of my bill, SB 1414, we are reaffirming our commitment to safeguarding the most vulnerable among us — our children.”

The bipartisan measure was drafted with input from survivors, the author said. It received overwhelming support from the Legislature and the first partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom. Supporters said the new law will help California correct its outdated provisions. The measure is a crucial step to protect more children and help law enforcement go after criminals who solicit minors for sex, they say.

The California legislation doesn’t go as far as laws in other states. In Texas, for example, an adult would be charged with a felony for soliciting a minor under 17 and could face harsher penalties if the victim was under 14.

Gavin Newsom on Thursday also signed three other measures to boost protections for human trafficking and domestic violence victims, including one requiring emergency rooms to implement protocols to allow patients who are potentially victims to discreetly notify health care workers of their abuse.

“Human trafficking is a disgusting and reprehensible crime that leaves lasting pain on victims and survivors,” the governor said in a statement. “These new laws will help us further hold predators accountable and provide victims with the support and care they need.”

The Democratic governor, who has said he “cares deeply” about the issue, last year signed another bill authored by Grove to make child trafficking a serious crime. Anyone convicted of at least three serious felonies in California is punished by a sentence of between 25 years and life in prison, known as the “three strikes law.”

This story has been updated to correct that the new penalty only applies in cases where the victims were under 16 years old, not 15.