NCOSE Calls on ME Governor Janet Mills to Sign
Washington, DC (June 16, 2021) – The National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE) commends the Maine Legislature for passing LD 1592, an act that increases penalties for sex buying while removing criminal punishments for people in prostitution, offering exit services instead. It also makes it easier for victims of prostitution to seal their criminal records.
“Maine has passed this innovative bill to correctly reframe prostitution as a problem of demand, and to classify buying sex as a crime of commercial sexual exploitation. This bill stops punishing victims of prostitution/sex trafficking and puts the onus on those who create the problem—the sex buyers. Maine is taking national leadership by recognizing the root causes of exploitation, and tackling sexual entitlement and demand,” said Dawn Hawkins, CEO of the National Center on Sexual Exploitation.
“Given Governor Janet Mills’ former role as Maine Attorney General, we expect she will understand this is the only way to PREVENT sex trafficking from happening in the first place and sign it into law,” Hawkins added.
NCOSE staff testified during a Maine committee hearing in support of this bill and was consulted on its language.
