California Democrats reversed course on a bill and amended it to once again allow felony charges against adults who solicit sex from minors who are 16 and 17 years of age. The Assembly Appropriations Committee on Wednesday, May 7, unanimously passed AB 379, a bill targeting buyers in child sex trafficking.
The legislation would criminalize loitering with the intent to buy sex from teens and create a fund for trafficking victims.
“For adult offenders at least three years older than the minor, prosecutors will have new tools to bring felony charges,” Assembly Public Safety Committee chair Nick Schultz said in a statement. “When the adult offender is within three years of age of the minor, solicitation remains illegal and a misdemeanor.”
Initial resistance from lawmakers
Last week, Straight Arrow News reported on state lawmakers in the Assembly Public Safety Committee who blocked the effort to make soliciting 16-and 17-year-olds for sex a felony. In the Golden State, it’s already a felony crime to buy or attempt to buy sex from children aged 15 and younger.
Critics of the legislation told VanGuard News Group that the bill could unfairly target certain individuals by making “loitering” a crime again, arguing that people simply driving or walking in certain neighborhoods might be arrested if police interpret their presence as loitering.
Debate highlights divergent views
“Sending an 18-year-old high school senior to state prison for offering his 17-year-old classmate $20 to fool around isn’t smart criminal justice policy,” state Sen. Scott Wiener posted on Bluesky. “Yet that’s what some people are effectively advocating in this misleading debate.”
California Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement that “the law should treat all sex predators who solicit minors the same — as a felony, regardless of the intended victim’s age. Full stop.”
Democratic divide
Despite controversy surrounding the bill, the proposal moved forward sparking online attack ads from both parties and causing disagreement among Democrats about whether people who buy sex from teens should get tougher penalties, KCRA reported.
“Goal has always been to hammer the creeps who are buying teens for sex and create more support for victims,” the bill’s co-author, Assemblymember Maggy Krell, wrote on X. “New version accomplishes these goals, and makes it a felony for a grown man to buy a child for sex. I appreciate everyone’s work on this bill, especially the survivor coalition for never giving up.”
AB 379 still needs approval from the full Assembly and Senate. A full vote in the Assembly is expected next week.
