NCOSE
January 9, 2019

Help Ensure the Next U.S. Attorney General Starts Enforcing Laws Combatting Sexual Exploitation

The Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to hold confirmation hearings for Mr. William Barr for the position of U.S. Attorney General of U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) next week. Help us urge the Committee to ensure Mr. Barr’s commitment to rigorous enforcement of the nation’s laws combating sexual exploitation, and to adopt proactive measures in combatting sexual exploiters. With the upcoming confirmation hearings, Judiciary Committee members have a momentous opportunity to reproach the agency for dereliction of its responsibility to uphold such laws, and to charge Mr. Barr to clean house.

This includes:

1. Federal prosecution of Internet-based platforms (such as Skip the Games, Switter, Bedpage, and others) which promote prostitution and facilitate sex trafficking

2. Vigorous enforcement of federal obscenity laws, 18 U.S.C. § 1460 to 18 U.S.C. § 1470

3. Implementation of policy and law enforcement efforts aimed at combating demand for commercial sex

If confirmed Mr. Barr will have great power and opportunity to set U.S. law enforcement priorities. As such, we must implore the committee to question Mr. Barr on his committment to these issues.

 

Here’s a special message from Ben Miller and Sommer Porter after hand-delivering letters to all Senate Judiciary Member offices today:

Live from the Hart Senate Office Building

We're reaching out to Senators asking them to make sure William Barr (U.S. Attorney General nominee) is committed to combatting the full spectrum of sexual exploitation – from sex trafficking to obscenity law, and more. Tune in !Take Action Here: https://endsexualexploitation.org/articles/ensuring-the-next-u-s-attorney-general/

Posted by National Center on Sexual Exploitation on Wednesday, January 9, 2019

 

SOCIAL MEDIA ACTIONS:

.@senjudiciary with the hearings for #WilliamBarr as new #USAG, you have momentous opportunity to reproach DOJ for dereliction of responsibility to uphold sexual exploitation laws & charge Mr. Barr to clean house. Click To Tweet

Dawn Hawkins

Senior Vice President and Executive Director

Dawn Hawkins is a passionate abolitionist and defender of human rights who has dedicated her life to fighting against societal harms that threaten the dignity of others. Her energy, creativity and mobilization skills have revived the anti-pornography movement and her intentional emphasis on the intersectionality of forms of sexual exploitation has proven a unique and effective strategy for curbing them.

 

As Sr. Vice President and Executive Director of the National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE), Mrs. Hawkins has developed a global strategy uniting more than 300 women’s rights, conservative, child advocacy, medical professionals, law enforcement, and religious groups, including a bipartisan political leadership, to work together in raising awareness of the connections between all forms of sexual exploitation. Her initiatives have lead to sweeping policy changes of policies that foster exploitation for targets such as Google, Hilton Worldwide, Comcast, Walmart, and the Department of Defense. Through her leadership, NCOSE has grown a network reaching hundreds of thousands of people all over the world. Mrs. Hawkins has appeared on many local and national television programs, including CNN, Fox & Friends, and Good Morning America. She regularly authors articles and speaks around the country addressing the public health harms of pornography, curbing demand for sex trafficking, protecting children and families in our digital world, and more.

 

Dawn regularly volunteers for organizations devoted to helping children and refugees. She is a graduate of Tufts University and currently resides with her husband and four children in Virginia.

Further Reading