After Sun Sentinel investigation, Florida's Democrats in Congress call on state leaders to …

Florida's eight Democratic members of Congress called on Gov. Ron DeSantis and state legislative leaders Wednesday to reform state laws to protect children from sex trafficking, citing a South Florida Sun Sentinel investigation, Innocence Sold, published late last year.

In a letter, the delegation asked for “immediate action,” saying they were writing to “express our deep concern about the recent reports of sex trafficking of foster children and a thriving sex trade in Florida hotels, as reported in recent articles in the Sun Sentinel newspaper.”

The call for change was led by U.S. Rep. Lois Frankel of West Palm Beach, and signed by her and fellow Democratic representatives Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, Frederica Wilson, Kathy Castor, Maxwell Frost, Darren Soto and Jared Moskowitz.

The letter was addressed to DeSantis, Senate President Kathleen Passidomo and House Speaker Paul Renner, all Republicans, as well as Democratic minority leaders Sen. Lauren Book and Rep. Fentrice Driskell. Copies also were sent to heads of state agencies.

In late 2022, the Sun Sentinel published a series of reports and an accompanying investigative podcast exposing state failures that contribute to child sex trafficking. The Sun Sentinel found that hotels in Florida get away with thousands of violations of an anti-trafficking law and that the state's foster care system funnels children into the sex trade.

The investigation also found that the state's law enforcement and criminal justice systems punishes survivors, treating them like criminals instead of victims.

Elected officials from both parties have said they would push for change. But the letter Wednesday was signed only by Democrats.

The congressional group asked for two specific reforms: a reduction in the use of foster care group homes, and strengthening of a law aimed at curbing trafficking inside hotel rooms.

The delegation urged the state to tighten the definition of youth “at risk for trafficking,” in order to reduce the use of group foster homes for vulnerable teens in Florida.

The Sun Sentinel reported that Florida exploits a federal loophole so it can continue receiving federal funds to send troubled girls to group homes, despite a 2018 federal law that discourages it.

The state does so using a loophole in the federal law by defining “at risk” teens so broadly that many foster meet the criteria and can be congregated in group foster homes. Teens at group foster homes are often targeted by traffickers, the Sun Sentinel reported.

“As you should know, foster children are among the most vulnerable members of our society, and they deserve our utmost protection and care,” the letter said. “The fact that they are being exploited and abused in this way is a grave injustice, and it is imperative that we do everything in our power to bring those responsible to justice and prevent further incidents with a change in Florida's foster care system.”

The delegation urged the state to make the necessary changes to a 2019 state law so that hotels who repeatedly violate a state anti-trafficking law are held to account. The Sun Sentinel reported that thousands of hotels were cited for violating the law, which requires employees to be trained to recognize and report trafficking for sex or forced labor. Violators are subject to fines of up to $2,000 a day. But not a single fine was issued, not even to repeat offenders.

Hotels are the primary crime scene for sex trafficking.

[ INNOCENCE SOLD: Read the full investigation as well as reaction and more. ]

“We urge the DeSantis administration and state legislators to work closely with local law enforcement, child welfare agencies, and advocacy groups to investigate [the Sun Sentinel's] reports and develop a comprehensive plan to address this issue,” the letter says. “This may include increased funding for investigative and enforcement efforts, more robust protections, and support for foster children, including family-based care options and legislative fixes including those previously mentioned.”

DeSantis and the legislative leaders did not respond to a request for comment Wednesday afternoon.

State legislators still have another month to file bills before the coming session. Some trafficking legislation already has been filed, including a bill by Democrats Sen. Darryl Rouson of Tampa and Rep. Patricia Williams of Pompano Beach that calls for creation of a task force to address foster care runaways.

Many runaways from foster care are trafficked for sex, the Sun Sentinel reported.

State Sen. Rosalind Osgood, D-Fort Lauderdale, filed a bill inspired by the Sun Sentinel series that would create a trust fund to help trafficking victims clear arrests from their records.

[ FELONIOUS FLORIDA PODCAST: Listen to Season 3, Innocence Sold. ]

The Sun Sentinel reported that victims often carry arrest records from crimes their traffickers forced or coerced them to do, but they can't afford legal representation to obtain the background expunction available to them.

Brittany Wallman is the Sun Sentinel's investigations editor. Reach her at [email protected], 954-356-4541 or on Twitter @BrittanyWallman.