AUGUSTA (AP) — A Maine lawmaker has introduced a measure that would allow victims of human trafficking to have their prostitution convictions vacated.
Republican Rep. Amy Volk of Scarborough is the bill’s sponsor. She said Maine would join 14 other states that have the law.
The bill is designed to ensure women who become victims of human trafficking aren’t penalized.
Volk said in a statement that the state “should be helping them rebuild their lives, not punishing them for actions beyond their control.”
Republican Gov. Paul LePage signed a measure earlier this year that expands the definition of human trafficking to include more crimes that involve the victimization of someone for profit. It also renames the promotion of prostitution to “sex trafficking.”
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