Abstract

This short article describes how some victims of human trafficking in the sex industry in the United States are prosecuted alongside traffickers and put on sex offender registries. The result is both a criminal record and an indefinite digital mark that limits their ability to find a job, settle in a new community, and see their children. The article concludes with a call for a careful, critical look at the system of sex offender registries and, more broadly, policing and prosecution strategies, including in cases of human trafficking, in the United States.

Highlights

  • In June 2019, Pennsylvania State Police warned of a scam targeting people convicted of sex offences.[1]

  • Masquerading as law enforcement officers, scammers were calling affected individuals and telling them that they were not complying with sex offender registry requirements, sometimes claiming that warrants existed for the person’s arrest, and suggesting the problem could be eliminated by buying a cash card or transferring money to the scammer

  • In addition to restrictions on where they can live, work, and socialise, registered individuals are prohibited from possessing a cell phone without the express prior approval of a parole officer

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Summary

Introduction

In June 2019, Pennsylvania State Police warned of a scam targeting people convicted of sex offences.[1]. Surveillance and Entanglement: How mandatory sex offender registration impacts criminalised survivors of human trafficking While this example makes plain one of the troubling consequences of publicly available registry information, the ways in which technology impacts people convicted of sex offences run far deeper.

Results
Conclusion

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