Human Trafficking
Since Texas has both a domestic and international border, it’s become a hub for sex and human trafficking. In fact, the National Human Trafficking Hotline reported 792 human trafficking cases in the State of Texas. Statistics like these have prompted Texan legislators to pass laws banning and penalizing the act of human trafficking.
Human trafficking is one of the most serious crimes a person can face under the Penal Code. The penalties include years in prison, expensive fines, restitution, and any other term or condition imposed by the court. If you or someone you know has been charged with human trafficking or sex trafficking, contact the experienced legal team at The Law Office of Jackson F. Gorski.
Austin Human Trafficking Attorney | Jackson Gorski
The negative social stigma from human trafficking allegations alone could upturn a person’s life indefinitely. Now, imagine what a conviction could do. That is why we highly encourage you to secure legal counsel if you’ve been arrested with human trafficking in the State of Texas. Contact The Law Office of Jackson F. Gorski for experienced and qualified legal counsel with a special focus in violent/sex crimes. We can assess the details of your case and start building your defense right then and there.
Schedule your first consultation with The Law Office of Jackson F. Gorski by calling our firm at 512-960-4646 or filling out the free consultation form online. The Law Office of Jackson F. Gorski has various offices in Texas including Austin and Georgetown. They also accept clients throughout the various counties in the State of Texas including Travis County, Williamson County, Bell County, Hays County, Caldwell County, Bastrop County, Milam County, and Blanco County.
Information Center:
- Texas Penal Code Definition of Human Trafficking
- Penalties for Human Trafficking in Texas
- Additional Resources
Texas Penal Code Definition of Human Trafficking
The crime of human trafficking is defined under the Texas Penal Code Section 20A.02. The statute goes on to state a person is guilty of the crime if they do any of the following:
- Traffic a person or people into forced services or labor
- Benefit from the scheme such as receiving services from the victim
- Traffic a person or people by coercion or force and use that to make the victim:
- Prostitution
- Promoting prostitution
- Compelling prostitution
- Aggravated prostitution
- Having sexual contact with a sex trafficking victim through force, fraud or coercion
- Traffic a child or children into labor or services
- Benefit from said child trafficking schemes
- Traffic a child or children and force them to do any of the following:
- Prostitution
- Promoting prostitution
- Compelling prostitution
- Aggravated prostitution
- Sexual assault
- Employment harmful to children
- Possession or promotion of child pornography
- Sexual performance by a child
- Indecency with a child
- Continuous sexual abuse of a child
- Engages in sexual activity with a child who is trafficked
Penalties for Human Trafficking in Texas
Human trafficking crimes have life-altering penalties under the Penal Code. The Penal Code Section 20A.02 states trafficking a person is a second-degree felony punishable by:
- Minimum prison sentence of 2 years
- Maximum prison sentence of 20 years
- A possible fine of up to $10,000
Some circumstances known as aggravating factors could also enhance your penalties such as:
- The crime involved the death of a human trafficking victim
- The crime involved children
- The trafficking victim loses an unborn child due to the crime
If any of the factors above were present during the crime, then it will be a first-degree felony. The maximum sentence a person may face for this crime classification is up to 99 years with a minimum of 5 years.
Additional Resources
National Human Trafficking Hotline: Texas Division – Visit the official website of the National Human Trafficking Hotline (NHTH) to learn more about human trafficking and human trafficking crime statistics in Texas. Access the site to staggering numbers on how prevalent human trafficking is in Texas, helpful resources for victims, and upcoming events held by NHTH.
Human Trafficking – Visit the official website of the Attorney General of Texas to learn more about human and sex trafficking. Access the site to learn more about U.S. human trafficking statistics, resources for victims, and the Human Trafficking and Transnational/Organized Crime Section (HTTOC) created by Ken Paxton.
Although your reading of this website doesn’t constitute the formation of an attorney-client relationship, I will tell you that you should avoid discussing your case with friends, family, social media applications, and prosecutors without the legal guidance of an experienced defense lawyer.
