TEXAS
TEXAS IS
TEXAS IS BEHIND MOST STATES WHEN IT COMES TO HELPING SEX TRAFFICKING VICTIMS
CLEAR THEIR NAMES.
THE KVUE DEFENDERS FOUND 30
STATES ALLOW
TRAFFICKING VICTIMS TO HAVE
CRIMES REMOVED FROM
THEIR RECORDS IF THEY WERE
FORCED TO COMMIT THEM
UNDER SOMEONE ELSE'S CONTROL.
BUT TEXAS DOES NOT.
INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER ERICA
PROFFER SHOWS US WHY.
"I JUST THINK IT'S UNFORTUNATE
THAT
THAT WE'RE BEHIND ON THIS. 26:35 WE'RE ACTUALLY CRIMINALIZING VICTIMS "
A FRESH START DOESN'T COME EASY.
BUT IT'S ESPECIALLY
HARD FOR HUMAN TRAFFICKING
SURVIVORS LIKE
ALLISON FRANKLIN.
"MY STORY STARTED WITH CHILD
SEXUAL ABUSE.
LOOKING FOR ANY WAY OUT, ALLISON
BECAME A
RUNAWAY AT 11-YEARS-OLD.
"I WAS ON THE STREETS OF HOUSTON
AT TWO, THREE,
FOUR IN THE MORNING. NO CLOTHES,
NO FOOD.
I STARTED TO USE DRUGS AS A WAY
TO MITIGATE ALL OF
THE EFFECTS OF MY TRAUMA,"
"WHERE WERE YOU GETTING IT
FROM?"
"THAT'S THE INTERESTING PART,
RIGHT? FROM SCHOOL."
SHE JOINED A GANG AND BECAME A
DEALER TO HER
CLASSMATES.
SOMEHOW, SHE GRADUATED AND WENT
TO COLLEGE.
"I THINK SOMETIMES I WENT TO
SCHOOL
BECAUSE IT WAS SOME NORMALCY.
I'M STILL A NORMAL
KID IN SOMEWAY,"
THE TRAUMA WAS THERE. AND
BUILDING.
ALL OF THE FLASHBACKS AND ALL OF
THE UNRESOLVED
TRAUMA WOULD COME BACK AND I
ONLY KNEW TO EITHER
MUTILATE MYSELF OR GET HIGH," "I
WAS HOMELESS, LIVING IN A CAR,
WORKING FULL-
TIME, GOING TO SCHOOL, STRAIGHT
A'S, MADE THE
DEAN'S LIST AND GETTING HIGH,"
BUT THEN.. SHE FELL IN LOVE AND
MOVED TO CALIFORNIA. A
SIGN OF HOPE.
SHE SOBERED UP. BUT THEN HER
BOYFRIEND DIED. SHE
WITNESSED THE ACCIDENT.
"I CAME BACK AND I HAD THAT
TRAUMA ON TOP OF THE TRAUMA
THAT I ALREADY HAD,"
THIS TIME, DRUG USE LED TO
PROSTITUTION.
SHE WORKED GANG- CONTROLLED
STREETS.
SHE WAS AN OUTSIDER.
"I COULD GET RAPED AND ROBBED
TWICE IN THE SAME
DAY."
FOR MONTHS. SOMETIMES BY THE
SAME PERSON.
"I CAN DISTINCTLY REMEMBER THE
DAY I MET MY
TRAFFICKER,"
SHE SAYS A MAN WAS BEATING HER
WITH A PISTOL. HER
WOULD-BE TRAFFICKER STOPPED THE
ATTACK.
"HE TOLD ME I HAD HIGHER RANK I
CAN PROTECT YOU.
YOU'RE TOO BEAUTIFUL OUT HERE TO
BE OUT HERE YOU'RE
TOO CUTE. YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO
THIS,"
DOCTORED ME, TOOK ME SHOPPING
THE NEXT DAY. LET ME
CRY ON HIM. AND STARTED THE
GROOMING PROCESS.
"GROOMING" IS WHEN A TRAFFICKER
ACTS LIKE A
BOYFRIEND--PROMISING LOVE,
BUYING GIFTS.
BUT IT'S ONLY TEMPORARY.
"ALL OF A SUDDEN EVERYTHING THAT
HE HAD
GIVEN ME, ONE DAY I OWED HIM FOR
IT,"
UNDER A TRAFFICKER'S CONTROL,
VICTIMS OFTEN
DO MORE THAN OFFER SEX. THEY
BECOME A SCAPEGOAT.
"THEY STEAL GUNS. THEY STEAL
CARS. THERE'S
LAUNDERING MONEY. ALL THOSE
DIFFERENT
THINGS THAT GO IN WITH THAT.
TRAFFICKERS INSULATE
THEMSELVES FROM ALL OF THE RISKS
AND SET UP OTHER
INDIVIDUALS TO TAKE THE FALL,"
ALLISON SAYS SHE TOOK THE FALL
EIGHT TIMES. EIGHT
DRUG FELONIES.
"HE HAS CHAINED ME TO A STOVE,
HE HAS HAD GANG
MEMBERS WATCH ME AT MY
GRANDMOTHER'S FUNERAL SO
THAT I WOULDN'T LEAVE... HE'S
POURED BOILING WATER ON ME.
HE'S HIT ME WITH THE TRUCK...
THOSE FEARS ARE
THERE, BUT MORE FOR ME, WAS THE
PSYCHOLOGICAL
BONDAGE."
PSYCHOLOGICAL BONDAGE." "I DIDN'T LOOK AT IT AS
TRAFFICKING. HE LOVES ME.
THAT'S NOT MY PIMP. HE LOVES
ME,"
ALLISON BROKE THE CYCLE OF ABUSE
WHEN SHE GOT HER
LAST DRUG CHARGE.
I GOT INTO A SPECIALTY COURT."
THERE, SOMEONE IDENTIFIED HER AS
A HUMAN
TRAFFICKING VICTIM. SHE GOT
SPECIALIZED THERAPY.
PUNISHMENT, THOUGH, GOES BEYOND
JAILHOUSE
WALLS.
JAILHOUSE WALLS. "WHEN I MOVED HERE TO TAKE A
JOB. I APPLIED AT 30 DIFFERENT
PLACES
PLACES TRYING TO GET A PLACE TO LIVE. I THOUGHT AUSTIN IS PROGRESSIVE CITY.
WELL, WE'LL TAKE
YOUR DOG BUT WE CAN'T TAKE YOU,"
THE CRIMES, SHE SAYS COMMITTED
WHILE
WHILE UNDER SOMEONE ELSE'S CONTROL, STILL FOLLOW HER. THEY DON'T HAVE TO.
39 STATES ALLOW SURVIVORS A WAY
TO DISMISS
CRIMINAL CHARGES RESULTING FROM
BEING
TRAFFICKED.
BEING TRAFFICKED. IT'S CALLED "VACATUR". THE U.S.
DEPARTEMNT OF STATE DEFINES IT
AS
AS A
AS A RECOGNITION OF "FACTUAL INNOCENCE." BUT THE CHARGES STAY ON YOUR
RECORD.
30 STATES ALLOW CERTAIN CASES TO
BE COMPLETELY
REMOVED OR "EXPUNGED."
TEXAS HAS NO SUCH LAW.
"IT'S A SYSTEM THAT TALKS ABOUT
SEX TRAFFICKING
BUT DOESN'T ACTUALLY HELP THEM."
JAMEY CARUTHERS IS THE SENIOR
STAFF ATTORNEY
FOR CHILDREN AT RISK, A
NONPARTISAN GROUP THAT
HAS PUSHED FOR VACATUR LAWS FOR
SEVERAL
LEGISLATIVE SESSIONS.
"TEXAS TALKS A LOT ABOUT 'LOOK,
WE FEEL FOR THE VICTIM.
WE WANT TO HELP THE VICTIM. WE
WANT TO
RESTORE THE VICTIM, MAKE THEM
PRODUCTIVE
MEMBERS OF SOCIETY BECAUSE IT
WASN'T THEIR
FAULT.' THAT'S GREAT TO TALK
LIKE THAT BUT WE REALLY
NEED TO CREATE A PATH WHERE THAT
CAN ACTUALLY HAPPEN,"
RALLY
STATE REP. SENFRONIA
THOMPSON TRIES EVERY SESSION FOR
THE LAST TWO
SESSIONS.
SESSIONS. IT FAILS IN THE SENATE. AS A RESULT OF THAT, WE CAN'T GO
ANYWHERE,"
SO FAR THIS SESSION, NO VACATUR
BILLS ARE FILED.
THOMPSON, INSTEAD, SEEKS TO
ENHANCE THE "NON-
DISCLOSURE LAW." IT WOULD KEEP
THE CRIME ON A
TRAFFICKING VICTIM'S RECORD...
BUT SEALED.
"I HAVE HAD CAR INSURANCE TURNED
ME DOWN OR RAISE
MY RATES BECAUSE OF MY RECORD,"
ALLISON NOW HELPS COUNSEL OTHER
SURVIVORS AND
SPEAKS TO LAWMAKERS ACROSS THE
NATION .
"HOW DO YOU EXPECT SOMEONE TO
RECOVER IF YOU
LIMIT THEM FROM ANY TYPE OF
ECONOMIC
ECONOMIC AGENCY? "YOU'RE A LIVING INDIVIDUAL IN SHACKLES." CHANGING THE WAY WE TREAT
SURVIVORS STARTS IN THE
LEGISLATURE.
ONLINE WITH THIS STORY, WE HAVE
INFORMATION ON
INFORMATION ON
THAT
THAT NON-DISCLOSURE BILL . YOU CAN TELL YOUR REPRESENTATIVE AND SENATOR
HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT THIS ISSUE.
A LINK TO FIND YOUR HOUSE AND
SENATE REPRESENTATIV
ES IS ALSO AVAILABLE WITH THIS
STORY AT KVUE.COM.
FOR THE KVUE DEFENDERS. ERICA
PROFFER.