JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – In an effort to crack down sex trafficking in Jacksonville, according to city leaders, Mayor Lenny Curry will sign into law today. The new bill places tougher regulations on strip clubs and establishes the Sex Trafficking Survivors Leadership Council.
Florida is ranked third nationally for reported cases of human trafficking abuses, according to the National Human Trafficking Hotline, and officials said Jacksonville is the third-largest human trafficking city in Florida. Jamie Rosseland is a survivor of sex trafficking within the city where she was born and raised.
“In 2013, I was trafficked here in Jacksonville,” Rosseland said. “Most of the survivors that I know, they were trafficked in Jacksonville and they lived in Jacksonville before they were trafficked in Jacksonville.”
In 2019, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, there were 19 victims identified and/or rescued, four of whom were juveniles. There were a total of 34 human trafficking-related arrests and three federal indictments, the Sheriff’s Office said.
“It’s definitely a significant issue here,” said Jacksonville City Councilwoman LeAnna Cumber, who helped author the sex trafficking bill.
One of the most notable changes in the bill is increasing the erotic dance performer age from 18 to 21.
“What this does is it takes the most vulnerable population, the most vulnerable women and men who are going to be brought into sex trafficking, it removes them from the situation that is very dangerous for them," Cumber said. "So it removes that teenage population”
The bill also increases the license fee for strip clubs to cover the cost for JSO to monitor them and requires that everyone who works in a club to be trained in sex trafficking education. All clubs will have to keep a file of everyone who’s danced there.
City leaders said Jacksonville is a hub for human trafficking because it’s surrounded by water, has an airport and has so much travel in and out on Interstate 10 and Interstate 95
“It’s really something that’s happening every day in our city," Cumber said. "Now, we also have very large events in the city. We have TPC (The Players Championship). It’s, unfortunately, a really big event that brings in girls and girls as young as 15 years old to come into the city for commercial sex during those big events.”
VIEW | Legislation combating sex trafficking
The sex trafficking bill is expected to be signed into law Thursday.
The mayor will appoint survivors to serve on the new Sex Trafficking Survivors Leadership Council. They will guide the city on its programs and education and draft an annual review on progress.
“I’m really excited about the city of Jacksonville taking this really big step and saying survivor leadership and survivor voice is so important on how we address this,” Rosseland said. "I think the people who have lived through this and have gotten out on the other side have some incredible insights to share.”
The bill also requires that all gas station and convenience store employees are trained in sex trafficking education and requires the posting of public awareness signs inside all guest rooms of public lodging establishments.