Bill > HB1320

This bill creates the Child Trafficking Protection Act of 2025, which significantly enhances penalties for human trafficking, particularly when the victim is a minor. The bill amends existing Oklahoma law by introducing stricter sentencing guidelines for individuals convicted of human trafficking. For general human trafficking offenses, perpetrators can be sentenced to 5 years to life in prison and fined up to $100,000. However, when the victim is under 18, the penalties are more severe, potentially including life imprisonment without parole or even the death penalty, with fines up to $250,000. The bill mandates that convicted traffickers serve at least 85% of their sentence before being eligible for parole and requires them to pay restitution to victims. The legislation also clarifies that a victim's consent is not a valid legal defense, and the perpetrator's lack of knowledge about the victim's age does not exempt them from prosecution. An important provision allows victims of human trafficking to use their trafficking experience as an affirmative defense if they are prosecuted for crimes committed during their trafficking situation. The act will become effective on November 1, 2025, and represents a significant effort to combat human trafficking, especially of minors, by imposing more stringent legal consequences for perpetrators.

http://www.oklegislature.gov/BillInfo.aspx?Bill=hb1320&Session=2600