​The Equality Model in New York State

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​Strengthens Laws to Prevent and End Sex Trafficking​​

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• Eliminates a loophole in New York State law that prevents sex buyers, like Jeffrey Epstein, from being charged with promotion of prostitution when they traffic people to themselves.​

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• Strengthens protections for children against exploitation by eliminating an ignorance defense afforded to those who buy sex from children under 11 (1st degree), 15 (2nd degree), or in a school zone.​

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• Laws that hold accountable pimps, sex traffickers, and other profiteers remain unchanged.​​​

 

​Advances Justice for Survivors​

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• Ends the arrests and incarceration of people bought and sold in prostitution.​

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• Automatically expunges all past convictions for prostitution and loitering for the purpose of prostitution.

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• Clears the criminal records of trafficking survivors for crimes committed while they were under the control of their exploiter.​

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• Prevents people in the sex trade from being charged as an accomplice to promoting or compelling prostitution when they are helping others in prostitution like them and are not profiting, and they are being exploited by a third party.​

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• Prohibits usage of condoms as evidence in criminal trials for prostitution.​

 

​Expands Legal Protection & Access to Social Services for Survivors

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• Develops and expands lifesaving programs for survivors, including health/mental health services, temporary and permanent housing placement, legal and immigration services, employment placement, education and job training, and safe harbor programs for sexually exploited children.

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• Enables a broader pool of people to access social services from organizations combating gender violence by aligning New York’s definition of human trafficking with the federal definition.

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• Extends the legal protections and comprehensive services afforded to minors apprehended for prostitution under New York's Safe Harbor law, to cover young adults up to age 24.​

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• Expands a regionally, racially, and sexually diverse State task force with representation from people in the sex trade and advocates, to ensure access and administration of social services to people in prostitution across New York.

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• Fines imposed on sex buyers will be directed to a Victims of Sexual Exploitation Fund to support essential social services.​