Kansas AG pushing to strengthen laws on human trafficking

Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt is pushing for changes that would strengthen the state’s laws against human trafficking.

The state Senate Judiciary Committee on Friday introduced a bill containing Schmidt’s proposals. He said in a statement that the changes would put Kansas “in the top tier” of states in fighting trafficking.

His proposed changes include specifically making it a felony to knowingly sell travel services for sex tourism and declaring in state law that minors can never consent to trafficking.

Another change proposed by Schmidt would create a new felony crime of trading in child pornography over the Internet.

The bill also would increase the penalties for buying sex with a minor so that the presumed prison sentence for a first-time offender would nearly double to almost five years.