CARSON CITY (KSNV MyNews3) -- Pimping is referred to as pandering in Nevada law books, and Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto is fighting to call it sex trafficking.
Cortez Masto is introducing Assembly Bill 67, which calls for longer prison sentences on convicted pimps and grant victims treatment.
Andrea Swanson knows human trafficking is real: Her daughter was sucked into a sex ring in Las Vegas.
“Our ignorance, and our daughter's innocence, made her an identifiable target,” she said. “Forced into prostitution by her boyfriend-turned-pimp.”
Young women are trafficked all over the silver state. But Las Vegas especially is a hotbed for sex trafficking, in part because of the city’s big events and conventions that can draw a lot of men. But Cortez Masto says it can happen anywhere.
Assemblyman John Hambrick supports this and four other bills that would crack down on human trafficking.
“We need to get the message out: Come here have fun, spend money, see the shows, game, but leave our youngsters alone,” he said.
As a father and with 30 years in law enforcement, Hambrick says lawmakers must listen to the issue.
“It’s amongst the most violent actions a female can endure,” he said.
Las Vegas is on a sex trafficking route. Many girls are brought here from southern California. Since 1994, Metro has helped free more than 2,200 victims.
