Bill to help victims of human trafficking headed to governor – LimaOhio.com

State Rep. Susan Manchester (R-Waynesfield)

COLUMBUS — Legislation intended to aid victims of human trafficking and to help prosecutors crack down on the sex trade is headed to Gov. Mike DeWine's desk.

The Ohio Senate has given final approval to a bill authored by State Rep. Susan Manchester, R- Waynesfield, that expands the definition of compelling a victim to include the use of a controlled substance.

The bill would make the recruitment or transport of a person for sexually oriented activity or performance a first-degree felony, with specifications for if the victim were to be a minor, have a developmental disability, or be put under the influence of a controlled substance.

House Bill 427 previously passed the House unanimously.

“When human traffickers use drugs to compel their victims, we need to make sure we are empowering those in the fight against human trafficking by giving them the tools they need to hold criminals accountable,” Manchester said in a prepared statement.

“This bill is an important step forward in the fight against human trafficking, but there's more work to do to combat this terrible crime,” she said.

Manchester represents the 84th House District which encompasses Mercer County and portions of Auglaize, Darke and Shelby counties.

This article is pulled “as is” from the Google News Alert “human trafficking.”