New law will create tougher penalties for human traffickers
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ALABAMA (WHNT) – Alabama is cracking down on human traffickers after Governor Kay Ivey signed the “Sound of Freedom Act” into law.
Under the new measure, people convicted of trafficking minors will automatically be sentenced to life in prison.
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Human trafficking in Alabama was a Class A felony, punishable by 20-years to life in prison under the previous law, but the move will take those punishments a step further.
“Human trafficking is a problem anywhere there are people,” Bo Williams with the North Alabama Human Trafficking Task Force said.
Williams says human trafficking is a billion dollar industry that exists nationwide, including here in the Tennessee Valley. He says the new law is about keeping children in Alabama safe and for many reasons, they’re the most vulnerable when it comes to human trafficking.
“They [children] don’t understand that someone online who’s asking you to keep them a secret doesn’t have their best interest at heart,” Williams explained. “We’ve got to continue to fight that fight and protecting children’s innocence is a big part.”
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Roadways such as I-565 and I-20 are some of Alabama’s busiest that traffickers use on a daily basis. However, the hope is that the “Sound of Freedom Act” will work stop that and lawmakers are calling it some of the toughest anti-human trafficking laws in the nation.
Recent data from the National Human Trafficking Hotline shows in 2021, 285 calls were received from Alabama – with over 100 of those coming from victims themselves.
Williams says the move is sending a strong message.
“The appeal of the activity is you’ll succeed and make a lot of money, but if we’ve got this law on the books, and we’ve got people out there enforcing it and putting these traffickers away for the rest of their lives, they can’t traffic from in prison,” he said.
Survivors of human trafficking like Aubree Alles says few understand the difficult position that victims are placed in.
“I was definitely set up and prepared because of traumas in my life to be vulnerable as a younger person,” Alles told News 19.
Alles believes kids need to be protected and she’s hoping the new law will set a precedent for others to follow.
“These are children who are going to have to live with these things for the rest of their lives it is not easy after, I know,” she said. “I hope that this spreads throughout the U.S. There’s just too many people getting slaps on the wrist for this and there’s too many people suffering in silence, it’s got to stop somewhere.”
The North Alabama Human Trafficking Task Force says it takes everyone to fight this issue, and if you see something out of the ordinary you should contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 888-373-7888 or call 911.
The “Sound of Freedom Act” will go into effect on October 1st.
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