Selling Kids for Sex is Not "Free Speech"

Senator Ron Wyden's recent op-ed is blatantly misleading and more importantly, is dangerous rhetoric.

As Executive Director of ECPAT-USA, the nation's leader in combating child exploitation and trafficking, I know firsthand the torment and violence victims of trafficking and exploitation endured prior to the successful passage of the Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act, commonly known as SESTA - which was passed 97-2 with only Senators Wyden and Paul voting against it.   

In 1996 when Senator Wyden authored the Communications Decency Act (CDA), few would have ever imagined online predators would seek to buy and sell minors through online platforms. Equally appalling, those same predators used a loophole in Section 230 of the CDA to escape accountability - both criminally and civilly.  Federal judges, both democrats and republican, urged Congress to amend Section 230 so that bad actors could be brought to justice.  

ECPAT-USA worked tirelessly with other NGOs, tech companies, law enforcement, the Trump Administration and Congress to enact SESTA. Now, if an online platform knowingly facilitates trafficking or exploitation of a human, they can and will be held responsible.  

The law is working. Platforms like Backpage are not only shutting down, their owners are being held accountable.  Backpage's CEO Carl Ferrer pled guilty to federal conspiracy and money laundering charges; the company pled guilty to human trafficking and money launder charges; and Michael Lacey, James Larkin and five other employees are going to trial.  This would not have been possible without FOSTA-SESTA.

Protecting free speech as Senator Wyden suggests does not mean that exploiters may buy and sell children for sex on the Internet, or anywhere, for that matter.  We can balance free speech while at the same time, protecting children from being sold online - FOSTA-SESTA is that reasonable compromise.