Faith & Freedom Coalition Supports the “Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act” To Combat Online Sex Trafficking

Washington, DC – On behalf of the over 1.5 million members of the Faith & Freedom Coalition, Executive Director Tim Head delivered the following letter today to both Republican and Democratic members of the U.S Senate to encourage Senators to vote to amend Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act to protect our most vulnerable citizens who are trapped in the online sex trade. “The Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act of 2017 (SESTA) will combat online sex trafficking hubs that provide a safe haven for modern day slave traders,” stated Head. ”SESTA is an important and critically needed reform that will protect women and children without undermining internet freedom or the First Amendment.” According to Congressional investigators, the vast majority of trafficking victims were sold on Backpage.com. Congress never intended Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act to protect a business that tailored its site to make underage sex trafficking easier. Nonetheless, federal courts have ruled websites that facilitate sex trafficking are immune from lawsuits brought by their victims, no matter how complicit the sites are or how terrible the harm caused. “The online sex traffickers hide behind the anonymity of the internet and are protected by Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act once they are caught and this is simply wrong and the Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act of 2017 would clarify Section 230 to ensure that websites that facilitate sex trafficking can be held liable and that their victims can get justice,” said Head. Read the full letter.