Post by Logan on Feb 12, 2016 19:14:30 GMT -6
The Utah House approved a bill Friday that would allow prosecutors to seek the death penalty in human trafficking cases where a victim of the trafficking is killed.
"The fact that you're profiting by taking kids and putting them in prostitution and now [the penalty] is maybe a slap on the wrist and fine and a couple years in prison, to me this is a deterrent" to a business model that makes money off people, said Rep. Paul Ray, R-Clinton, the sponsor of HB136.
Under existing law, the death penalty can be imposed in cases of child abuse, arson or burglary when someone is killed in the process.
"Human trafficking probably meets or exceeds the severity" of those crimes, Ray said.
Read more: www.sltrib.com/news/3532676-155/house-approves-expansion-of-death-penalty
"The fact that you're profiting by taking kids and putting them in prostitution and now [the penalty] is maybe a slap on the wrist and fine and a couple years in prison, to me this is a deterrent" to a business model that makes money off people, said Rep. Paul Ray, R-Clinton, the sponsor of HB136.
Under existing law, the death penalty can be imposed in cases of child abuse, arson or burglary when someone is killed in the process.
"Human trafficking probably meets or exceeds the severity" of those crimes, Ray said.
Read more: www.sltrib.com/news/3532676-155/house-approves-expansion-of-death-penalty