PHOENIX (AZFamille) — Voters approved several ballot propositions, including Proposition 313, which will send convicted child sex traffickers to life in prison. This significantly increases the mandatory sentence.

Voters support it, but legal experts say it will be important to ensure victims caught in a dangerous web aren’t also sent to prison for life.

It’s not just brazen killers who will spend life in Arizona prison; now they are also child sex traffickers.

“I think people looked at it and thought it was a good idea, and in theory, yes, it’s a good idea,” said Jay Rademacher, a former Maricopa County prosecutor turned criminal defense attorney. defense.

Currently, in Arizona, people convicted of sex trafficking children under the age of 15 face a minimum sentence of seven years.

This accessory now makes a conviction not only a life sentence, but also no possibility of parole.

Rademacher fears this could prompt a sex ring leader to permanently silence victims to prevent them from reporting crimes.

“What incentive does a pimp or John have now to keep his child alive? » said Rademacher.

He said this type of sentence was ideal for the highest-ranking sex trafficking ring leader, but became limiting when victims, who became young adults in the ring, were forced to recruit other children, a cycle of helplessness for those trapped inside. .

Should they go to prison for life?

“There are many situations where this can be applied to individuals who don’t deserve such a severe punishment, particularly when that punishment is the same punishment you might receive for killing someone,” Rademacher said.

“First degree murder?” asked true crime correspondent Briana Whitney.

“First degree murder – felony murder,” Rademacher responded.

But former Mesa PD undercover detective Matt Browning spent decades infiltrating human sex trafficking rings and said investigators and prosecutors work together to stop the person at the top and protect those at the top. helped achieve this.

“The 21-year-old young woman will not be sentenced to life in prison even though she was forced, forced, to bring in her sister because of the threats made against her. They’ll take this 21-year-old young lady and use her to help them hunt the bigger fish,” Browning said.

Browning said it often ends in a plea deal, which avoids trial altogether or, in some cases, drops the charges.

“The main guys, the main traffickers? Yeah, you’re done. Life in prison. The people you destroyed and injured along the way will be used to oppose you,” he said.

Browning said that in his years investigating this type of child sex trafficking in religious cults and drug rings, he said the apex predators calling the shots are rarely capable to rehabilitate a safer situation for all if they are behind bars for good.

“They will not live a normal life after hurting, abusing, assaulting or raping a minor girl or boy,” Browning said.

Rademacher said this harsher sentence would not change anything else in these cases: The burden of proof on prosecutors remains the same, and discovery and litigation remain the same.

The only difference is that if convicted, the judge has no discretion over the sentence; it’s straight to life in prison.

For comparison, that’s a lot more time than for anyone convicted of second-degree murder.

See a spelling or grammar error in our story? Please click here to report it.

Do you have a photo or video of a news report? Send it’s ours here with a brief description.

Copyright 2024 KTVK/KPHO. All rights reserved.