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STATE 

STATUTES

Current Through 

April 2016

Definitions of Human 

Trafficking 

WHAT’S INSIDE

Defined in child 

protection laws

Definitions of labor 

trafficking

Definitions of sex 

trafficking of minors

Summaries of State laws

To find statute 

information for a 

particular State, 

go to 

https://www.childwelfare.

gov/topics/systemwide/

laws-policies/state/.

Human trafficking can be compared to a modern-day 

form of slavery. It involves the exploitation of people 

through force, coercion, threat, and deception and 

includes human rights abuses such as debt bondage, 

deprivation of liberty, and lack of control over freedom 

and labor.1

1 Human trafficking should not be confused with human smuggling. According to the 

U.S. Department of State, human smuggling is the facilitation, transportation, attempted 

transportation, or illegal entry of a person across an international border in violation of the 

laws of one or more countries, either clandestinely or through deception, such as the use of 

fraudulent documents. Human smuggling generally occurs with the consent of the person 

being smuggled, although that person subsequently may become a victim of trafficking, and 

the two crimes often co-occur. For more information, see the factsheet titled Distinctions 

Between Human Smuggling and Human Trafficking 2006 at http://www.state.gov/m/ds/

hstcenter/90434.htm. (From the Human Smuggling and Trafficking Center, U.S. Department 

of State, Bureau of Diplomatic Security.)

 Trafficking can be for purposes of sexual 

exploitation or labor exploitation. Sexual exploitation 

includes forcing an individual to engage in 

commercial sex acts, including prostitution or the 

production of pornography. The types of labor 

exploitation include domestic servitude, restaurant 

work, janitorial work, sweatshop factory work, and 

migrant agricultural work. Victims of trafficking can 

include adults and minors as well as both U.S. citizens 

and foreign nationals.
Definitions of Human Trafficking https://www.childwelfare.gov

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The Federal Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection 

Act of 2000 (P.L. 106-386)2

2 P.L. 106-386 has been reauthorized four times since its enactment in 2000: 

by the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2003 (P.L. 108-193); 

by the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2005 (P.L. 109-164); 

by the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization 

Act of 2008 (P.L. 110-457); and by title XII of the Violence Against Women 

Reauthorization Act of 2013 (P.L. 113-4).

 defines human trafficking in 

terms of “involuntary servitude,” which includes a 

condition of servitude induced by means of any scheme, 

plan, or pattern intended to cause a person to believe 

that, if the person did not enter into or continue in such 

condition, that person or another person would suffer 

serious harm or physical restraint. A person also may be 

induced to a condition of servitude by the abuse or 

threatened abuse of the legal process.3

3 22 U.S.C. § 7102 (2016). As defined in Federal law, the term “abuse or 

threatened abuse of the legal process” means the use or threatened use of a 

law or legal process, whether administrative, civil, or criminal, in any manner or 

for any purpose for which the law was not designed, in order to exert pressure 

on another person to cause that person to take some action or refrain from 

taking some action.

Other definitions from the act include the following:

 Debt bondage: The status or condition of a debtor 

arising from a pledge by the debtor of his or her 

personal services, or of those of a person under his or 

her control, as a security for the debt when the value of 

those services, as reasonably assessed, are not applied 

toward the liquidation of the debt or the length and 

nature of those services are not respectively limited 

and defined

 Severe forms of trafficking in persons: Includes (1) sex 

trafficking in which a commercial sex act is induced by 

force, fraud, or coercion or in which the person 

induced to perform such act is younger than age 18 or 

(2) the recruitment, harboring, transportation, 

provision, or obtaining of a person for labor or services 

through the use of force, fraud, or coercion for the 

purpose of subjection to involuntary servitude, 

peonage, debt bondage, or slavery

 Sex trafficking: The recruitment, harboring, 

transportation, provision, obtaining, patronizing, or 

soliciting of a person for the purpose of a commercial 

sex act

The Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2015 (P. L. 

114-22 (2015)) amended the Federal definition of child 

abuse and neglect provided by the Child Abuse 

Prevention and Treatment Act (P. L. 111-320 (2010)) with 

the addition of the following special rule:

A child shall be considered a victim of “child abuse 

and neglect” and of “sexual abuse” if the child is 

identified, by a State or local agency employee of the 

State or locality involved, as being a victim of sex 

trafficking (as defined in § 103(10) of the Trafficking 

Victims Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. § 7102)) or 

a victim of severe forms of trafficking in persons 

described in § 103(9)(A) [22 U.S.C. § 7102(9)(A)].4

4 42 U.S.C. § 5106g(b) (2015)

Defined in Child Protection Law

Many States have expanded their civil child protection 

definitions to include trafficking of children. The inclusion 

of trafficking within the definitions enables child 

protective agencies to respond to reports of trafficking as 

child abuse—regardless of whether the perpetrator of the 

trafficking is a parent or other caregiver—and to provide 

services to victims of trafficking. In seven States, the crime 

of human trafficking, including labor trafficking, 

involuntary servitude, or trafficking of minors, is included 

in the definition of physical child abuse.5

5 Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, and Utah.

 All States include 

sexual abuse in their definitions of child abuse, and sexual 

exploitation is an element of the definition of sexual 

abuse in most jurisdictions. Sexual exploitation includes 

allowing the child to engage in prostitution or in the 

production of child pornography. In 21 States, the 

definition of sexual abuse includes human trafficking, 

including sex trafficking or trafficking of children for 

sexual purposes.6

6 Commercial sexual exploitation, including the production of child 

pornography, can be regarded as a type of sex trafficking. The States that 

specifically include the term “sex trafficking” in their civil definitions of 

child abuse include Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, 

Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, 

Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Texas, 

and Vermont.

 These definitions do not, however, 

describe in any detail what elements constitute an act of 

trafficking in persons. For that, it is necessary to look at a 

State’s criminal definitions of human trafficking.
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Definitions of Labor Trafficking

Labor trafficking occurs when a person knowingly recruits, 

entices, harbors, transports, provides, or obtains by any 

means, including, but not limited to, through the use of 

force, abduction, coercion, fraud, deception, blackmail, or 

causing or threatening to cause financial harm, another 

person for forced labor or services. A person also commits 

trafficking of persons if he or she benefits, financially or by 

receiving anything of value, from participation in such 

activities. Approximately 48 States, the District of 

Columbia, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto 

Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands have laws that prohibit 

trafficking of persons for the purpose of involuntary 

servitude.7

7 The word “approximately” is used to stress the fact that States frequently 

amend their laws. This information is current only through April 2016. Maine, 

Virginia, and American Samoa currently do not have laws regarding labor 

trafficking.

Federal and State definitions of labor trafficking do not 

distinguish between minors and adults, so some element 

of force, fraud, coercion, or deception must be present for 

children to be defined as victims of labor trafficking. 

Conditions that are considered force, fraud, coercion, or 

deception in the labor trafficking of adults or minors 

include the following:

 Threatening serious harm to, or physical restraint 

against, the victim or a third person

 Destroying, concealing, removing, confiscating, or 

possessing any passport, immigration document, or 

other government identification document

 Abusing or threatening abuse of the law or legal 

process against the victim or a third person

 Placing a person in debt bondage

 Providing a drug, including alcohol, to another person 

with the intent to impair the person’s judgment or 

maintain a state of chemical dependence

 Wrongfully taking, obtaining, or withholding any 

property of another person

 Blackmail

 Asserting control over the finances of another person

 Withholding or threatening to withhold food or 

medication

Definitions of Sex Trafficking of Minors

All States, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, 

Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the 

Virgin Islands have laws prohibiting trafficking of persons 

for the purpose of commercial sexual activity. The term 

“sex trafficking” refers to criminal activity whereby one or 

more persons are subjected to engaging in commercial 

sexual activity through the use of force, fraud, or coercion, 

except that if the trafficked person is younger than age 18, 

the commercial sexual activity need not involve force, 

fraud, or coercion. In fact, according to the Federal Victims 

of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000, any 

child younger than age 18 who is induced to engage in 

commercial sexual activity is a victim of sex trafficking.

Human trafficking of a child for sexual exploitation includes 

all forms of commercial sexual activity with a child, 

including prostitution and participation in the production 

of pornography. In 25 States, Guam, and the Northern 

Mariana Island, the term “commercial sexual activity” 

includes sexually explicit performance, such as 

performance in a strip club and exotic dancing or display.8

8 Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, 

Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, 

New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, 

Utah, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin.

The term “commercial sexual activity” also means any 

sexual activity, such as those described in this paragraph, 

for which anything of value is given to or received by any 

person.
Definitions of Human Trafficking https://www.childwelfare.gov

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This publication is a product of the State Statutes 

Series prepared by Child Welfare Information 

Gateway. While every attempt has been made 

to be complete, additional information on these 

topics may be in other sections of a State’s code 

as well as agency regulations, case law, and 

informal practices and procedures.

Suggested citation: 

Child Welfare Information Gateway. (2016). Definitions of 

human trafficking. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of 

Health and Human Services, Children’s Bureau.
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Alabama

Defined in Child Protection Law 

Citation: Ala. Code § 26-14-1(1)-(3)

The term 'sexual abuse' includes:

• The employment, use, persuasion, inducement, enticement, or coercion of a child to engage in or to have a child assist any 

other person engage in sexually explicit conduct 

• Any simulation of the conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of the conduct

• The rape, molestation, prostitution, or other form of sexual exploitation of children

The term 'sexual exploitation' includes: 

• Allowing, permitting, or encouraging a child to engage in prostitution

• Allowing, permitting, encouraging, or engaging in obscene or pornographic photographing, filming, or depicting a child for 

commercial purposes

Definitions of Labor Trafficking

Citation: Ala. Code § 13A-6-151

The term 'labor servitude' means work or service of economic or financial value that is performed or provided by another person and 

is induced or obtained by coercion or deception.

The term 'coercion' means any of the following:

• Causing or threatening to cause physical injury or mental suffering to any person, physically restraining or confining any 

person, or threatening to physically restrain or confine any person or otherwise causing the person performing or providing 

labor or services to believe that the person or another person will suffer physical injury or mental suffering

• Implementing any scheme, plan, or pattern intended to cause a person to believe that failure to perform an act would result in 

physical injury, mental suffering, or physical restraint of any person

• Destroying, concealing, removing, confiscating, or withholding from the person or another person; or threatening to destroy, 

conceal, remove, confiscate, or withhold from the person or another person, the person's or any person's actual or purported 

government records, immigration documents, identifying information, or personal or real property

• Exposing or threatening to expose any fact or information that if revealed would tend to subject a person to criminal 

prosecution, criminal or immigration proceedings, hatred, contempt, or ridicule

• Threatening to report the person or another person to immigration officials or to other law enforcement officials or otherwise 

blackmailing or extorting the person or another person 

• Controlling a person's access to a controlled substance

• Rape or sodomy or threatened rape or sodomy of any person

The term 'deception' means any of the following:

• Creating or confirming an impression of any existing fact or past event that is false and that the accused knows or believes to 

be false

• Exerting financial control over the person or another person by placing the person or another person under the actor's control 

as a security or payment of a debt, if the value of the services as reasonably assessed is not applied toward the liquidation of 

the debt, the length and nature of those services are not respectively limited and defined, the principal amount of the debt 

does not reasonably reflect the value of the items or services for which debt was incurred, or by preventing a person from 

acquiring information pertinent to the disposition of the debt

• Promising benefits or the performance of services that the accused does not intend to be delivered

• Using any scheme, plan, or pattern, whether overt or subtle, intended to cause any person to believe that, if the person did 

not perform such labor, services, acts, or performances, the person or another person would suffer physical injury or mental 

suffering

The term 'mental suffering' means a high degree of mental pain or emotional disturbances, such as distress, anxiety, public 

humiliation, or psychosomatic physical symptoms. It is more than mere disappointment, anger, resentment, wounded pride, or 

embarrassment and must be a direct result of the crime of human trafficking.

The term 'trafficking victim' means any person, including a minor, who has been subjected to labor servitude, sexual servitude, or 

involuntary servitude.
Definitions of Human Trafficking https://www.childwelfare.gov

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Definitions of Sex Trafficking of Minors 

Citation: Ala. Code §§ 13A-6-151; 13A-6-152

The term 'sexual servitude' means any sexual conduct for which anything of value is directly or indirectly given, promised to, or 

received by any person, which conduct is induced or obtained by coercion or deception from a person. Sexual conduct includes:

• Sexually explicit performances, meaning an act or show intended to arouse, satisfy the sexual desires of, or appeal to the 

prurient interests of patrons or viewers, whether public or private, live, photographed, recorded, videotaped, or projected 

over the Internet

• Commercial sex acts, meaning any sex act on account of which anything of value is given, promised to, or received, directly or 

indirectly, by any person

• Acts of custodial sexual misconduct, as defined in § 14-11-30(3)

A person commits the crime of human trafficking in the first degree if:

• He or she knowingly subjects another person to labor servitude or sexual servitude through use of coercion or deception

• He or she knowingly obtains, recruits, entices, solicits, induces, threatens, isolates, harbors, holds, restrains, transports, 

provides, or maintains any minor for the purpose of causing a minor to engage in sexual servitude

Alaska

Defined in Child Protection Law 

Citation: Alaska Stat. § 47.17.290

The term 'child abuse or neglect' includes sexual abuse or sexual exploitation. The term 'sexual exploitation' includes the following 

conduct by a person responsible for the child's welfare:

• Allowing, permitting, or encouraging a child to engage in prostitution, as prohibited by §§ 11.66.100 through 11.66.150 

• Allowing, permitting, or encouraging a child to engage in actual or simulated activities of a sexual nature that are prohibited 

by criminal statute

Definitions of Labor Trafficking

Citation: Alaska Stat. §§ 11.41.360; 11.81.900

A person commits the crime of human trafficking in the first degree if the person compels or induces another person to engage in 

sexual conduct, adult entertainment, or labor in the State by force, threat of force against any person, or by deception.

The term 'deception' means to knowingly:

• Create or confirm another's false impression that the defendant does not believe to be true, including false impressions as to 

law or value and false impressions as to intention or other state of mind

• Fail to correct another's false impression that the defendant previously has created or confirmed

• Prevent another from acquiring information pertinent to the disposition of the property or service involved

• Sell or otherwise transfer or encumber property and fail to disclose a lien, adverse claim, or other legal impediment to the 

enjoyment of the property, whether or not that impediment is a matter of official record

• Promise performance of an action that the defendant does not intend to perform or knows will not be performed

Definitions of Sex Trafficking of Minors 

Citation: Alaska Stat. § 11.66.110

A person commits the crime of sex trafficking in the first degree if the person:

• Induces or causes a person to engage in prostitution through the use of force

• As other than a patron of a prostitute, induces or causes a person younger than age 20 to engage in prostitution

• Induces or causes a person in that person's legal custody to engage in prostitution

In a prosecution, it is not a defense that the defendant reasonably believed that the person induced or caused to engage in 

prostitution was age 20 or older.
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American Samoa

Defined in Child Protection Law 

Citation: Ann. Code § 45.2001(a)(1)

The terms 'abuse' or 'child abuse or neglect' include acts or omissions that include when a child is:

• Subjected to sexual offenses, including rape, sexual assault, sexual abuse, or indecent exposure 

• Allowed, permitted, or encouraged to engage in prostitution

• Allowed, permitted, or encouraged to be the subject of obscene or pornographic photographing, filming, or depicting

Definitions of Labor Trafficking

This issue is not addressed in the statutes reviewed.

Definitions of Sex Trafficking of Minors 

Citation: Ann. Code § 46.3705

A person commits the crime of promoting prostitution in the first degree if he or she knowingly:

• Promotes prostitution by compelling a person to enter into, engage in, or remain in prostitution 

• Promotes prostitution of a person younger than age 16

The term 'compelling' includes:

• The use of forcible compulsion

• The use of a drug or intoxicating substance to render a person incapable of controlling his or her conduct or appreciating its 

nature

• Withholding or threatening to withhold dangerous drugs or a narcotic from a drug-dependent person

Arizona

Defined in Child Protection Law 

Citation: Rev. Stat. § 8-201

The term 'abuse' includes:

• Commercial sexual exploitation of a minor

• Sexual exploitation of a minor 

• Child prostitution

'Serious physical injury' means an injury that is diagnosed by a medical doctor and that is the result of sexual abuse, sexual conduct 

with a minor, sexual assault, molestation of a child, child prostitution, commercial sexual exploitation of a minor, sexual exploitation, 

or incest.

Definitions of Labor Trafficking

Citation: Rev. Stat. §§ 13-1306; 13-1308

It is unlawful for a person to knowingly obtain the labor or services of another person by doing any of the following:

• Causing or threatening to cause bodily injury to that person or another person

• Restraining or threatening to restrain that person or another person without lawful authority and against that person's will

• Withholding that person's governmental records, identifying information, or other personal property

It is unlawful for a person to:

• Knowingly traffic another person with the intent to or knowledge that the other person will be subject to forced labor or 

services

• Knowingly benefit, financially or by receiving anything of value, from participation in a venture that has engaged in an act in 

violation of §§ 13-1306, 13-1307, or this section

The term 'forced labor or services' means:

• Labor or services that are performed or provided by another person and that are obtained through a person's:

» Causing or threatening to cause serious physical injury to any person

» Restraining or threatening to physically restrain another person
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» Knowingly destroying, concealing, removing, confiscating, possessing, or withholding another person's actual or 

purported passport or other immigration document, government issued identification document, government record, or 

personal property

» Abusing or threatening to abuse the law or the legal system

» Extortion

» Causing or threatening to cause financial harm to any person

» Facilitating or controlling another person's access to a controlled substance

• Does not include ordinary household chores and reasonable disciplinary measures between a parent or legal guardian and 

the parent's or legal guardian's child

The term 'traffic' means to entice, recruit, harbor, provide, transport, or otherwise obtain another person by deception, coercion, or 

force.

Definitions of Sex Trafficking of Minors 

Citation: Rev. Stat. § 13-1307

It is unlawful for a person to knowingly traffic another person who is age 18 or older with either of the following:

• The intent to cause the other person to engage in any prostitution or sexually explicit performance by deception, force, or 

coercion

• The knowledge that the other person will engage in any prostitution or sexually explicit performance by deception, coercion, 

or force

It is unlawful for a person to traffic another person who is younger than age 18 with either of the following:

• The intent to cause the other person to engage in any prostitution or sexually explicit performance

• The knowledge that the other person will engage in any prostitution or sexually explicit performance

The term 'coercion' includes:

• Abusing or threatening to abuse the law or the legal system 

• Knowingly destroying, concealing, removing, confiscating, possessing, or withholding another person's actual or purported 

passport or other immigration document, government issued identification document, government record, or personal 

property

• Extortion

• Causing or threatening to cause financial harm to any person 

• Facilitating or controlling another person's access to a controlled substance

The term 'force' includes causing or threatening to cause serious harm to another person or physically restraining or threatening to 

physically restrain another person.

The term 'sexually explicit performance' means a live or public act or show intended to arouse or satisfy the sexual desires or appeal 

to the prurient interest of patrons.

The term 'traffic' means to entice, recruit, harbor, provide, transport, or otherwise obtain another person.

Arkansas

Defined in Child Protection Law 

Citation: Ann. Code § 12-18-1201

The term 'sexually exploited child' means a person younger than age 18 who has been subject to sexual exploitation because the 

person:

• Is a victim of trafficking of persons under § 5-18-103 

• Is a victim of child sex trafficking under 18 U.S.C. § 1591 

• Engages in an act of prostitution or sexual solicitation
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Definitions of Labor Trafficking

Citation: Ann. Code §§ 5-18-102; 5-18-103

The term 'involuntary servitude' means the inducement or compulsion of a person to engage in labor, services, or commercial sexual 

activity by means of:

• A scheme, plan, or pattern of behavior with a purpose to cause a person to believe that if he or she does not engage in labor, 

services, or commercial sexual activity, he or she or another person will suffer serious physical injury or physical restraint

• Abuse or threatened abuse of the legal process

• The causing of or the threat to cause serious harm to a person

• Physically restraining or threatening to physically restrain another person

• The kidnapping of or threat to kidnap a person

• The taking of another person's personal property or real property

• The knowing destruction, concealment, removal, confiscation, or possession of an actual or purported passport, other 

immigration document, or other actual or purported government identification document of another person

• Extortion or blackmail

• Deception or fraud

• Coercion, duress, or menace

• Debt bondage 

• Peonage

• The facilitation or control of a victim's access to an addictive controlled substance

The term 'debt bondage' means the status or condition of a debtor arising from a pledge by the debtor of his or her personal 

services or of the personal services of a person under his or her control as a security for debt, if:

• The value of the debtor's personal services or of the personal services of a person under his or her control as reasonably 

assessed is not applied toward the liquidation of the debt.

• The length and nature of the debtor's personal services or of the personal services of a person under his or her control are not 

respectively limited and defined.

• The principal amount of the debt does not reasonably reflect the value of the items or services for which the debt was 

incurred.

The term 'extortion' means the obtaining of property, labor, a service, credit, a commercial sexual activity, or a sexually explicit 

performance from another person or of an official act of a public officer through a wrongful use of force or fear or under color of 

official right.

The terms: 

• Financial harm' means extortion of credit, criminal violation of the usury laws, or employment contracts that violate the 

statutes of frauds.

• 'Labor' means work of economic or financial value.

• 'Menace' means a possible danger or threat.

• 'Peonage' means holding a person against his or her will to pay off a debt.

• 'Service' means an act committed at the behest of, under the supervision of, or for the benefit of another person.

The term 'serious harm' means any harm, whether physical or nonphysical, including without limitation psychological, financial, or 

reputational harm, that is sufficiently serious, under all the surrounding circumstances, to compel a reasonable person of the same 

background and in the same circumstances as the victim to perform or to continue performing labor or service, a commercial sex act, 

or a sexually explicit performance in order to avoid incurring that harm.

The term 'victim of human trafficking' means a person who has been subjected to trafficking of persons.

A person commits the offense of trafficking of persons if he or she knowingly:

• Recruits, harbors, transports, obtains, entices, solicits, isolates, provides, or maintains a person knowing that the person will 

be subjected to involuntary servitude

• Benefits financially or by receiving anything of value from participation in a venture described above

• Subjects a person to involuntary servitude
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Definitions of Sex Trafficking of Minors 

Citation: Ann. Code §§ 5-18-102; 5-18-103

The term 'commercial sexual activity' means a sexual act or sexually explicit performance for which anything of value is given, 

promised, or received, directly or indirectly, by a person.

The term 'sex act' means any touching of the sexual or other intimate parts of another person for the purpose of gratifying the sexual 

desire of a person. 'Sex act' includes without limitation the touching of the person as well as touching by the person, whether directly 

or through clothing.

The term 'sexually explicit performance' means an act or show, whether public or private, live, photographed, recorded, or 

videotaped with a purpose to either appeal to the prurient interest or depict, in a patently offensive way, a sex act and do so in a way 

that lacks literary, artistic, political, or scientific value.

The term 'sexually explicit performance' includes without limitation any performance that depicts a sex act by a minor or that would 

create criminal liability under §§ 5-27-303 or 5-27-304.

A person commits the offense of trafficking of persons if he or she knowingly:

• Recruits, entices, solicits, isolates, harbors, transports, provides, maintains, or obtains a minor for commercial sexual activity

• Sells or offers to sell travel services that he or she knows includes an activity prohibited above

It is not a defense to prosecution for an act described above that the actor did not have knowledge of a victim's age or mistakenly 

believed a victim was not a minor.

California

Defined in Child Protection Law 

Citation: Welf. & Inst. Code § 300; Penal Code § 11165.1

The legislature finds and declares that a child who is sexually trafficked, as described in § 236.1 of the Penal Code, or who receives 

food or shelter in exchange for or who is paid to perform, sexual acts, and whose parent or guardian failed to or was unable to 

protect the child is within the description of this subdivision, and that these children shall be known as commercially sexually 

exploited children.

The term 'sexual abuse' includes sexual exploitation, which refers to any of the following:

• Depicting a minor engaged in obscene acts; preparing, selling, or distributing obscene matter that depicts minors; employing 

a minor to perform obscene acts 

• Knowingly permitting or encouraging a child to engage in, or assisting others to engage in, prostitution or a live performance 

involving obscene sexual conduct, or to either pose or model alone or with others for purposes of preparing a film, 

photograph, negative, slide, drawing, painting, or other pictorial depiction involving obscene sexual conduct 

• Depicting a child in, or knowingly developing, duplicating, printing, or exchanging any film, photograph, videotape, negative, 

or slide in which a child is engaged in an act of obscene sexual conduct 

Definitions of Labor Trafficking

Citation: Penal Code §§ 236.1; 236.2

Any person who deprives or violates the personal liberty of another with the intent to obtain forced labor or services, is guilty of 

human trafficking. Any person who deprives or violates the personal liberty of another with the intent to commit procurement, 

pimping, pandering, procurement of a child, abduction of a child for prostitution, sexual exploitation of a child, child pornography, or 

extortion is guilty of human trafficking.

The term 'coercion' includes any scheme, plan, or pattern intended to cause a person to believe that failure to perform an act would 

result in serious harm to or physical restraint against any person; the abuse or threatened abuse of the legal process; debt bondage; 

or providing and facilitating the possession of any controlled substance to a person with the intent to impair the person's judgment.

'Deprivation or violation of the personal liberty of another' includes substantial and sustained restriction of another's liberty 

accomplished through force, fear, fraud, deceit, coercion, violence, duress, menace, or threat of unlawful injury to the victim or to 

another person under circumstances where the person receiving or apprehending the threat reasonably believes that it is likely that 

the person making the threat would carry it out.
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The term 'duress' includes a direct or implied threat of force, violence, danger, hardship, or retribution sufficient to cause a 

reasonable person to acquiesce in or perform an act that he or she would otherwise not have submitted to or performed; a direct or 

implied threat to destroy, conceal, remove, confiscate, or possess any actual or purported passport or immigration document of the 

victim; or knowingly destroying, concealing, removing, confiscating, or possessing any actual or purported passport or immigration 

document of the victim.

'Forced labor or services' means labor or services that are performed or provided by a person and are obtained or maintained 

through force, fraud, duress, or coercion, or equivalent conduct that would reasonably overbear the will of the person.

The term 'serious harm' includes any harm, whether physical or nonphysical, including psychological, financial, or reputational harm, 

that is sufficiently serious, under all the surrounding circumstances, to compel a reasonable person of the same background and in 

the same circumstances to perform or to continue performing labor, services, or commercial sexual acts in order to avoid incurring 

that harm.

Law enforcement agencies shall use due diligence to identify all victims of human trafficking, regardless of the citizenship of the 

person. When a peace officer comes into contact with a person who has been deprived of his or her personal liberty, a minor who 

has engaged in a commercial sex act, a person suspected of violating § 647(a) or (b), or a victim of a crime of domestic violence or 

sexual assault, the peace officer shall consider whether the following indicators of human trafficking are present:

• There are signs of trauma, fatigue, injury, or other evidence of poor care.

• The person is withdrawn, afraid to talk, or his or her communication is censored by another person.

• The person does not have freedom of movement.

• The person lives and works in one place.

• The person owes a debt to his or her employer. 

• Security measures are used to control who has contact with the person.

• The person does not have control over his or her own government-issued identification or over his or her worker immigration 

documents.

Definitions of Sex Trafficking of Minors 

Citation: Penal Code § 236.1

Any person who causes, induces, or persuades, or attempts to cause, induce, or persuade, a person who is a minor at the time of 

commission of the offense to engage in a commercial sex act, with the intent to commit any of the offenses listed above is guilty of 

human trafficking.

In determining whether a minor was caused, induced, or persuaded to engage in a commercial sex act, the totality of the 

circumstances, including the age of the victim, his or her relationship to the trafficker or agents of the trafficker, and any handicap or 

disability of the victim, shall be considered. Consent by a victim of human trafficking who is a minor at the time of the commission of 

the offense is not a defense to a criminal prosecution under this section. Mistake of fact as to the age of a victim of human trafficking 

who is a minor at the time of the commission of the offense is not a defense to a criminal prosecution under this section.

The term 'commercial sex act' means sexual conduct on account of which anything of value is given or received by any person.

Colorado

Defined in Child Protection Law 

Citation: Rev. Stat. § 16-22-102

The term 'unlawful sexual behavior' includes any of the following offenses or criminal attempt, conspiracy, or solicitation to commit 

any of the following offenses:

• Human trafficking of a minor for sexual servitude, as described in § 18-3-504(2)

• Sexual exploitation of children

• Procurement of a child for sexual exploitation 

• Soliciting for child prostitution

• Pandering or pimping of a child

• Keeping a place of child prostitution 

• Inducement of child prostitution

• Patronizing a prostituted child
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• Promotion of obscenity to a minor

• Internet luring of a child

• Internet sexual exploitation of a child

Definitions of Labor Trafficking

Citation: Rev. Stat. §§ 18-3-503; 18-3-502

A person who knowingly sells, recruits, harbors, transports, transfers, isolates, entices, provides, receives, or obtains by any means 

another person for the purpose of coercing the other person to perform labor or services commits human trafficking for involuntary 

servitude.

The term 'coercing' means inducing a person to act or to refrain from acting, if the inducement is accomplished by any one or more 

of the following means:

• The use or threat of the use of force against, abduction of, causing of serious harm to, or physical restraint of a person

• The use of a plan, pattern, or statement for the purpose of causing the person to believe that failure to perform the act or 

failure to refrain from performing the act will result in the use of force against, abduction of, causing of serious harm to, or 

physical restraint of that person or another person

• Using or threatening to use the law or the legal process, whether administrative, civil, or criminal, in any manner or for any 

purpose for which the law was not designed

• Threatening to notify law enforcement officials that a person is present in the United States in violation of Federal immigration 

laws

• The destruction or taking, or a threat to destroy or take, a person's identification document or other property

• Controlling or threatening to control a person's access to a controlled substance

• The use of debt bondage

• The exploitation of a person's physical or mental impairment, when such impairment has a substantial adverse effect on the 

person's cognitive or volitional functions

The term 'debt bondage' includes:

• Demanding labor or services as payment toward or satisfaction of a real or purported debt and failing to apply the reasonable 

value of the labor or services toward the liquidation of the debt

• Demanding labor or services when the length of the labor or services is not limited and the nature of the labor or services is 

not defined

The term 'identification document' means a real or purported passport, driver's license, immigration document, travel document, or 

other government-issued identification document, including a document issued by a foreign government.

The term 'maintain' means to provide sustenance or care for a minor and includes, but is not limited to, providing shelter, food, 

clothing, drugs, medical care, or communication services. A minor is a person younger than age 18.

The term 'serious harm' means bodily injury or any other harm, whether physical or nonphysical, including psychological, financial, or 

reputational harm, which is sufficiently serious, under all the surrounding circumstances, to compel a reasonable person to perform 

or continue to perform labor or services or sexual activity to avoid incurring the harm.

The term 'victim' means a person who is alleged to have been or who has been subjected to human trafficking.

Definitions of Sex Trafficking of Minors 

Citation: Rev. Stat. §§ 18-3-504; 18-3-502

A person who knowingly sells, recruits, harbors, transports, transfers, isolates, entices, provides, receives, obtains by any means, 

maintains, or makes available a minor for the purpose of commercial sexual activity commits human trafficking of a minor for sexual 

servitude. In any prosecution under this section, it is not a defense that:

• The minor consented to being sold, recruited, harbored, transported, transferred, isolated, enticed, provided, received, 

obtained, or maintained by the defendant for the purpose of engaging in commercial sexual activity.

• The minor consented to participating in commercial sexual activity.

• The defendant did not know the minor's age or reasonably believed the minor to be age 18 or older.

• The minor or another person represented the minor to be age 18 or older.

A person does not need to receive any of the proceeds of any commercial sexual activity to commit an offense described in this 

section.
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The term 'debt bondage' includes demanding commercial sexual activity as payment toward or satisfaction of a real or purported 

debt. The term 'commercial sexual activity' means sexual activity for which anything of value is given to, promised to, or received by a 

person. The term 'makes available' means to facilitate contact between a minor and another person.

The term 'sexual activity' means:

• Sexual contact, sexual intrusion, or sexual penetration, as defined in § 18-3-401

• Sexual exploitation of a child, pursuant to § 18-6-403(3)(a) and (3)(d)

• An obscene performance, as defined in § 18-7-101

Connecticut

Defined in Child Protection Law 

Citation: Gen. Stat. § 46b-120

The term 'abuse' includes sexual molestation or exploitation.

Definitions of Labor Trafficking

Citation: Gen. Stat. §§ 53a-192a; 53a-192

A person is guilty of trafficking in persons when such person compels or induces another person to engage in conduct involving 

more than one occurrence of sexual contact with one or more third persons, or provide labor or services that such person has a legal 

right to refrain from providing, by means of:

• The use of force or by the threat of use of force against the other person or a third person

• Fraud

• Coercion, as provided in § 53a-192

A person is guilty of coercion when he compels or induces another person to engage in conduct that the other person has a legal 

right to abstain from engaging in or to abstain from engaging in conduct in which the other person has a legal right to engage by 

means of instilling in such other person a fear that, if the demand is not complied with, the actor or another will:

• Commit any criminal offense

• Accuse any person of a criminal offense

• Expose any secret tending to subject any person to hatred, contempt, or ridicule, or to impair any person's credit or business 

repute

• Take or withhold action as an official or cause an official to take or withhold action

Definitions of Sex Trafficking of Minors 

Citation: Gen. Stat. § 53a-192a

A person is guilty of trafficking in persons when such person compels or induces another person who is younger than age 18 to 

engage in conduct involving more than one occurrence of sexual contact with one or more third persons that constitutes prostitution 

or sexual contact for which such third person may be charged with a criminal offense. For the purposes of this section, 'sexual 

contact' means any contact with the intimate parts of another person.

Delaware

Defined in Child Protection Law 

Citation: Ann. Code Tit. 16, § 902; Tit. 10, § 901; Tit. 11, § 787

The term 'sexual abuse' means any act against a child that is described as a sex offense in § 761(h) of Title 11, including, but not 

limited to, unlawful sexual contact, child pornography, promoting child prostitution, and incest. The term 'exploitation' means taking 

advantage of a child for unlawful or unjustifiable personal or sexual gain. 

A minor who has engaged in commercial sexual activity is presumed to be a neglected or abused child under title 10, § 901, et seq. 

Whenever a police officer has probable cause to believe that a minor has engaged in commercial sexual activity, the police officer 

shall make an immediate report to the Department of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families pursuant to title 16, § 901, et 

seq.
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Definitions of Labor Trafficking

Citation: Ann. Code Tit. 11, § 787

The term 'human trafficking' means the commission of any of the offenses described in this section. A person is guilty of trafficking 

an individual if the person knowingly recruits, transports, harbors, receives, provides, obtains, isolates, maintains, or entices an 

individual in furtherance of forced labor. A person is guilty of forced labor if the person knowingly uses coercion to compel an 

individual to provide labor or services.

The term 'coercion' means:

• The use or threat of force against, abduction of, serious harm to, or physical restraint of an individual

• The use of a plan, pattern, or statement with intent to cause an individual to believe that failure to perform an act will result in 

the use of force against, abduction of, serious harm to, or physical restraint of an individual

• The abuse or threatened abuse of law or legal process

• Controlling or threatening to control an individual's access to a controlled substance

• The destruction of, taking of, or the threat to destroy or take an individual's identification document or other property

• The use of debt bondage

• The use of an individual's physical, cognitive disability, or mental impairment, when such impairment has substantial adverse 

effects on the individual's cognitive or volitional functions

• The commission of civil or criminal fraud

The term 'debt bondage' includes:

• Commercial sexual activity in payment toward or satisfaction of a real or purported debt 

• Inducing an individual to provide labor or services in payment toward or satisfaction of a real or purported debt if:

» The reasonable value of the labor or services is not applied toward the liquidation of the debt.

» The length of the labor or services is not limited and the nature of the labor or services is not defined.

The term 'forced labor or services' means labor or services that are performed or provided by another person and are obtained or 

maintained through coercion. 'Labor or services' means activity having economic or financial value, including commercial sexual 

activity.

The term 'identification document' means a passport, driver's license, immigration document, travel document, or other 

government-issued identification document, including a document issued by a foreign government, whether actual or purported. 

The term 'serious harm' means harm, whether physical or nonphysical, including psychological, economic, or reputational to an 

individual, which would compel a reasonable individual of the same background and in the same circumstances to perform or 

continue to perform labor or services or sexual activity to avoid incurring the harm.

Definitions of Sex Trafficking of Minors 

Citation: Ann. Code Tit. 11, § 787

A person is guilty of trafficking an individual if the person knowingly recruits, transports, harbors, receives, provides, obtains, 

isolates, maintains, or entices an individual in furtherance of sexual servitude. A person commits the offense of sexual servitude if the 

person knowingly:

• Maintains or makes available a minor for the purpose of engaging the minor in commercial sexual activity

• Uses coercion or deception to compel an adult to engage in commercial sexual activity

It is not a defense in a prosecution under this section that the minor consented to engage in commercial sexual activity or that the 

defendant believed the minor was an adult. 

The term 'commercial sexual activity' means any sexual activity for which anything of value is given, promised to, or received by any 

person.

The term 'sexual activity' means any sex-related act, including sexual contact, prostitution, or sexually-explicit performances. The 

term 'sexually explicit performance' means a live public act or show, production of pornography, or the digital transfer of any of such 

intended to arouse or satisfy the sexual desires or appeal to the prurient interest of viewers.

An aggravating circumstance during the commission of a trafficking offense under this section occurs when:

• The person recruited, enticed, or obtained the victim from a shelter designed to serve victims of human trafficking, victims of 

domestic violence, victims of sexual assault, runaway youth, foster children, or the homeless.

• The person used or threatened use of force against, abduction of, serious harm to, or physical restraint of the victim.
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District of Columbia

Defined in Child Protection Law 

Citation: Ann. Code § 16-2301

'Sexual exploitation' occurs when a parent, guardian, or other custodian allows a child to engage in prostitution or engages a child 

or allows a child to engage in obscene or pornographic photography, filming, or other forms of illustrating or promoting sexual 

conduct.

Definitions of Labor Trafficking

Citation: Ann. Code §§ 22-1831; 22-1832; 22-1833; 22-1835

The term 'abuse or threatened abuse of law or legal process' means the use or threatened use of law or legal process, whether 

administrative, civil, or criminal, in any manner or for any purpose for which the law was not designed, to exert pressure on another 

person to cause that person to take some action or refrain from taking some action.

The term 'coercion' means any one of, or a combination of, the following:

• Force, threats of force, physical restraint, or threats of physical restraint

• Serious harm or threats of serious harm

• The abuse or threatened abuse of law or legal process

• Fraud or deception

• Any scheme, plan, or pattern intended to cause a person to believe that if that person did not perform labor or services, that 

person or another person would suffer serious harm or physical restraint

• Facilitating or controlling a person's access to an addictive or controlled substance or restricting a person's access to 

prescription medication

• Knowingly participating in conduct with the intent to cause a person to believe that he or she is the property of a person or 

business and that would cause a reasonable person in that person's circumstances to believe that he or she is the property of 

a person or business

The term 'debt bondage' means the status or condition of a person who provides labor, services, or commercial sex acts for a real or 

alleged debt when:

• The value of the labor, services, or commercial sex acts, as reasonably assessed, is not applied toward the liquidation of the 

debt.

• The length and nature of the labor, services, or commercial sex acts are not respectively limited and defined.

• The amount of the debt does not reasonably reflect the value of the items or services for which the debt was incurred.

The term 'labor' means work that has economic or financial value. The term 'services' means legal or illegal duties or work done for 

another, whether or not compensated.

The term 'serious harm' means any harm, whether physical or nonphysical, including psychological, financial, or reputational harm, 

that is sufficiently serious, under all the surrounding circumstances, to compel a reasonable person of the same background and in 

the same circumstances to perform or to continue to perform labor, services, or commercial sex acts to avoid incurring that harm.

It is unlawful for an individual or a business knowingly to use coercion to cause a person to provide labor or services or to place or 

keep any person in debt bondage. It is unlawful for an individual or a business to recruit, entice, harbor, transport, provide, obtain, or 

maintain by any means a person, knowing, or in reckless disregard of, the fact that:

• Coercion will be used or is being used to cause the person to provide labor or services or to engage in a commercial sex act. 

• The person is being placed or will be placed or kept in debt bondage.

It is unlawful for an individual or business knowingly to destroy, conceal, remove, confiscate, or possess any actual or purported 

government identification document, including a passport or other immigration document, or any other actual or purported 

document, of any person to prevent or restrict, or attempt to prevent or restrict, without lawful authority, the person's liberty to move 

or travel in order to maintain the labor or services of that person.

Definitions of Sex Trafficking of Minors 

Citation: Ann. Code §§ 22-1831; 22-1833; 22-1834

The term 'commercial sex act' means any sexual act or sexual contact on account of which or for which anything of value is given 

to, promised to, or received by any person. The term 'commercial sex act' includes a violation of any prostitution-related offense 

described in §§ 22-2701 through 22-2722.

The terms 'sexual act' and 'sexual contact' shall have the same meanings as provided in § 22-3001.
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It is unlawful for an individual or a business to recruit, entice, harbor, transport, provide, obtain, or maintain by any means a 

person, knowing, or in reckless disregard of, the fact that coercion will be used or is being used to cause the person to engage in a 

commercial sex act.

It is unlawful for an individual or a business knowingly to recruit, entice, harbor, transport, provide, obtain, or maintain by any means 

a person who as a result will be caused to engage in a commercial sex act knowing or in reckless disregard of the fact that the 

person is younger than age 18. In a prosecution under this section in which the defendant had a reasonable opportunity to observe 

the person recruited, enticed, harbored, transported, provided, obtained, or maintained, the government need not prove that the 

defendant knew that the person was younger than age 18.

Florida

Defined in Child Protection Law 

Citation: Ann. Stat. § 39.01

The term 'sexual abuse of a child' includes 'sexual exploitation of a child.' 'Sexual exploitation' may include:

• A child offering to engage in or engaging in prostitution

• Allowing, encouraging, or forcing a child to solicit for or engage in prostitution, engage in a sexual performance, or participate 

in the trade of human trafficking as provided in § 787.06(3)(g)

'Harm' to a child's health or welfare can occur when a person inflicts or allows to be inflicted upon the child physical, mental, or 

emotional injury. Such injury may occur when the person:

• Allows, encourages, or forces the sexual exploitation of a child

• Commits or allows to be committed sexual battery or lewd acts against the child 

• Allows, encourages, or forces the sexual exploitation of a child, including engaging in prostitution or a sexual performance

• Exploits a child or allows a child to be exploited

Definitions of Labor Trafficking

Citation: Ann. Stat. § 787.06

The term 'human trafficking' means transporting, soliciting, recruiting, harboring, providing, enticing, maintaining, or obtaining 

another person for the purpose of exploitation of that person. Any person who knowingly, or in reckless disregard of the facts, 

engages in human trafficking, or attempts to engage in human trafficking, or benefits financially by receiving anything of value 

from participation in a venture that has subjected a person to human trafficking, commits a felony, including any of the following 

circumstances:

• For labor or services of any child younger than age 18

• Using coercion for the labor or services of an adult 

• For the labor or services of any child younger than age 18 who does so by the transfer or transport of that child from outside 

this State to within the State

The term 'coercion' means: 

• Using or threatening to use physical force against any person

• Restraining, isolating, or confining, or threatening to restrain, isolate, or confine any person without lawful authority and 

against his or her will

• Using lending or other credit methods to establish a debt by any person when labor or services are pledged as a security for 

the debt, if: 

» The value of the labor or services as reasonably assessed is not applied toward the liquidation of the debt

» The length and nature of the labor or services are not respectively limited and defined

• Destroying, concealing, removing, confiscating, withholding, or possessing any actual or purported passport, visa, or other 

immigration document, or any other actual or purported government identification document, of any person

• Causing or threatening to cause financial harm to any person

• Enticing or luring any person by fraud or deceit

• Providing a controlled substance to any person for the purpose of exploitation of that person
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As used in this section, the terms:

• 'Financial harm' includes extortionate extension of credit, loan sharking as defined in § 687.071, or employment contracts that 

violate the statute of frauds as provided in § 725.01.

• 'Labor' means work of economic or financial value.

• 'Maintain means, in relation to labor or services, to secure or make possible continued performance thereof, regardless of 

any initial agreement on the part of the victim to perform such type service. 'Obtain' means, in relation to labor or services, to 

secure performance thereof.

• 'Services' means any act committed at the behest of, under the supervision of, or for the benefit of another. The term includes, 

but is not limited to, forced marriage, servitude, or the removal of organs.

Definitions of Sex Trafficking of Minors 

Citation: Ann. Stat. § 787.06

The term 'commercial sexual activity' means any violation of chapter 796 or an attempt to commit any such offense and includes 

sexually explicit performances and the production of pornography. 'Sexually explicit performance' means an act or show, whether 

public or private, that is live, photographed, recorded, or videotaped and is intended to arouse or satisfy the sexual desires or appeal 

to the prurient interest.

Any person who knowingly, or in reckless disregard of the facts, engages in human trafficking, or attempts to engage in human 

trafficking, or benefits financially by receiving anything of value from participation in a venture that has subjected a person to human 

trafficking commits a felony, including any of the following circumstances:

• For commercial sexual activity in which any child younger than age 18 

• For commercial sexual activity of any child younger than age 18 who does so by the transfer or transport of that child from 

outside this State to within the State

Any parent, legal guardian, or other person having custody or control of a minor who sells or otherwise transfers custody or control 

of such minor, or offers to sell or otherwise transfer custody of such minor, with knowledge or in reckless disregard of the fact that, as 

a consequence of the sale or transfer, the minor will be subject to human trafficking commits a life felony.

In a prosecution under this section, the defendant's ignorance of the victim's age, the victim's misrepresentation of his or her age, 

or the defendant's bona fide belief of the victim's age cannot be raised as a defense. A victim's lack of chastity or the willingness or 

consent of a victim is not a defense to prosecution if the victim was younger than age 18 at the time of the offense.

Georgia

Defined in Child Protection Law 

Citation: Ann. Code § 19-7-5(b)

The term 'sexual exploitation' means conduct by any person who allows, permits, encourages, or requires a child to engage in 

prostitution or sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual or print medium depicting such conduct.

Definitions of Labor Trafficking

Citation: Ann. Code § 16-5-46

A person commits the offense of trafficking a person for labor servitude when that person knowingly subjects another person to or 

maintains another person in labor servitude or knowingly recruits, entices, harbors, transports, provides, or obtains by any means 

another person for the purpose of labor servitude.

The term 'labor servitude' means work or service of economic or financial value that is performed or provided by another person and 

is induced or obtained by coercion or deception.

The term 'coercion' means:

• Causing or threatening to cause bodily harm to any person, physically restraining or confining any person, or threatening to 

physically restrain or confine any person 

• Exposing or threatening to expose any fact or information or disseminating or threatening to disseminate any fact or 

information that would tend to subject a person to criminal or immigration proceedings, hatred, contempt, or ridicule 

• Destroying, concealing, removing, confiscating, or possessing any actual or purported passport or other immigration 

document, or any other actual or purported government identification document, of any person
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• Providing a controlled substance to such person for the purpose of compelling such person to engage in labor or sexual 

servitude against his or her will

• Causing or threatening to cause financial harm to any person or using financial control over any person

The term 'deception' means:

• Creating or confirming another's impression of an existing fact or past event that is false and that the accused knows or 

believes to be false

• Maintaining the status or condition of a person arising from a pledge by that person of his or her personal services as security 

for a debt, if:

» The value of those services as reasonably assessed is not applied toward the liquidation of the debt.

» The length and nature of those services are not respectively limited and defined.

» The person is prevented from acquiring information pertinent to the disposition of such debt.

• Promising benefits or the performance of services that the accused does not intend to deliver or perform or knows will not be 

delivered or performed

Evidence of failure to deliver benefits or perform services standing alone shall not be sufficient to authorize a conviction under this 

section.

Definitions of Sex Trafficking of Minors 

Citation: Ann. Code §§ 16-5-46; 16-12-100

A person commits the offense of 'trafficking a person for sexual servitude' when that person knowingly subjects another person to or 

maintains another person in sexual servitude, or knowingly recruits, entices, harbors, transports, provides, or obtains by any means 

another person for the purpose of sexual servitude. The age of consent for sexual activity or the accused's lack of knowledge of the 

age of the person being trafficked shall not constitute a defense in a prosecution for a violation of this section.

The term 'sexual servitude' means:

• Any sexually explicit conduct or performance involving sexually explicit conduct for which anything of value is directly or 

indirectly given, promised to, or received by any person, and the conduct is induced or obtained by coercion or deception or 

is induced or obtained from a person who is younger than age 18

• Any sexually explicit conduct or performance involving sexually explicit conduct which is performed or provided by any 

person, and the conduct is induced or obtained by coercion or deception or is induced or obtained from a person who is 

younger than age 18

The term 'sexually explicit conduct' means actual or simulated:

• Sexual intercourse, whether between persons of the same or opposite sex

• Bestiality or masturbation

• Lewd exhibition of the genitals or pubic area of any person

• Flagellation or torture by or upon a person who is nude

• The condition of being fettered, bound, or otherwise physically restrained on the part of a person who is nude

• Physical contact in an act of apparent sexual stimulation or gratification with any person's unclothed genitals, pubic area, or 

buttocks or with a female's nude breasts

• Defecation or urination for the purpose of sexual stimulation of the viewer

• Penetration of the vagina or rectum by any object except when done as part of a recognized medical procedure

Guam

Defined in Child Protection Law 

Citation: Ann. Code Tit. 19, § 13101

'Harm to a child's physical health or welfare' occurs in a case in which there exists evidence of injury, including but not limited to a 

case in which the child has been the victim of a sexual offense, as defined in the Criminal and Correctional Code.
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Definitions of Labor Trafficking

Citation: Ann. Code Tit. 9, §§ 26.02; 26.01

A person commits the crime of 'trafficking in persons' when that person knowingly:

• Recruits, entices, solicits, isolates, harbors, transports, provides, or obtains by any means or attempts to recruit, entice, solicit, 

isolate, harbor, transport, provide, or obtain by any means, another person, knowing that the person will be subjected to 

involuntary servitude

• Benefits, financially or by receiving anything of value, from participation in a venture that has engaged in an act described 

above

A person commits the crime of 'involuntary servitude' when that person knowingly subjects, or attempts to subject, another person 

to labor or services through the use of any of the following means:

• Causing or threatening to cause serious harm to any person

• Physically restraining or threatening to physically restrain another person

• Abusing or threatening to abuse the law or legal process

• Knowingly destroying, concealing, removing, confiscating, or possessing any actual or purported passport or other 

immigration document, or any other actual or purported government identification document, of another person 

• Extortion or blackmail

• Deception or fraud

• Debt coercion

• Causing or threatening to cause financial harm to any person

• Facilitating or controlling a victim's access to an addictive controlled substance

• Using any scheme, plan, or pattern, whether overt or subtle, intended to cause any person to believe that, if the person did 

not perform such labor, services, acts or performances, that person or another person would suffer serious harm or physical 

restraint

The term 'debt coercion' means exploitation of the status or condition of a debtor arising from a pledge by the debtor of his or her 

personal services or those of a person under his or her control as a security or payment for debt, if:

• The value of those services as reasonably assessed is not applied toward the liquidation of the debt. 

• The length and nature of those services are not respectively limited and defined.

• The principal amount of the debt does not reasonably reflect the value of the items or services for which the debt was 

incurred.

The following terms mean:

• 'Extortion' is to be given its ordinary meaning as defined by existing Guam law.

• 'Financial harm' includes credit extortion, criminal violation of the usury laws, or employment contracts that violate relevant 

statutes and Federal laws and regulations. 

• 'Labor' means work of economic or financial value.

• 'Services' means any act committed at the behest of, under the supervision of, or for the benefit of another.

The term 'victim of trafficking in persons' means any person, whether a U.S. citizen or foreign national, who has been subjected to the 

crime of trafficking in persons, involuntary servitude, sexual servitude of a minor, or transported in violation of trafficking of persons 

for forced labor or service as set forth herein.

Definitions of Sex Trafficking of Minors 

Citation: Ann. Code Tit. 9, §§ 26.02; 26.01

A person commits the crime of 'trafficking in persons' when that person knowingly recruits, entices, solicits, isolates, harbors, 

transports, provides, or obtains by any means or attempts to recruit, entice, solicit, isolate, harbor, transport, provide, or obtain by 

any means, another person, knowing that the person will be subjected to sexual servitude of a minor.

A person commits the crime of 'sexual servitude of a minor' when that person knowingly:

• Recruits, entices, solicits, isolates, harbors, transports, provides, or obtains, by any means, or attempts to recruit, entice, 

solicit, isolate, harbor, transport, provide, or obtain by any means, any minor for the purpose of commercial sex acts or sexually 

explicit performance 

• Benefits, financially or by receiving anything of value, from participation in a venture that has engaged in an act described 

above.
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A person commits the crime of 'involuntary servitude' when that person knowingly subjects, or attempts to subject, another person 

to commercial sex acts or a sexually explicit performance.

The term 'commercial sex acts' means any sex act on account of which anything of value is given, promised to, or received, or 

exchanged, directly or indirectly, by any person.

The term 'sex act' refers to criminal sexual conduct, including sexual penetration and sexual contact, as defined in Title 9 GCA 

Chapter 25 [sexual offenses]; and any other crime as defined in Title 9 GCA Chapter 25A [solicitation of children and child 

pornography], Chapter 28 [prostitution and obscenity-related offenses], and Chapter 89 [crimes against minors].

The term 'sexually-explicit performance' means an act or show, intended to arouse, satisfy the sexual desires of, or appeal to the 

prurient interests of patrons or viewers, whether public or private, live, photographed, recorded, or videotaped.

Hawaii

Defined in Child Protection Law 

Citation: Rev. Stat. § 350-1

The term 'child abuse or neglect' means acts or omissions that have resulted in the physical health or welfare of the child who is 

under age 18 to be harmed or to be subject to a reasonably foreseeable, substantial risk of being harmed. The acts or omissions 

are indicated for the purposes of reports by circumstances that include, but are not limited to, when the child has been the victim of 

labor trafficking under chapter 707.

The term 'child abuse or neglect' includes instances when the child has been the victim of:

• Prostitution 

• Obscene or pornographic photographing, filming, or depiction, or other similar forms of sexual exploitation 

• Other similar forms of sexual exploitation, including, but not limited to, acts that constitute an offense pursuant to § 712-

1202(1)(b) [promoting prostitution of a person younger than age 18]

Definitions of Labor Trafficking

Citation: Rev. Stat. §§ 707-781; 707-780

A person commits the offense of labor trafficking if the person intentionally or knowingly provides or obtains, or attempts to provide 

or obtain, another person for labor or services by any of the following means committed against the other person:

• Extortion 

• Kidnapping

• Unlawful imprisonment

• Assault or sexual assault 

• Force, deadly force, or unlawful force

• An act of fraud, including making material false statements, misstatements, or omissions to induce or maintain the person to 

engage or continue to engage in the labor or services

• Requiring that labor or services be performed to retire, repay, or service a real or purported debt, if: 

» Performing the labor or services is the exclusive method allowed to retire, repay, or service the debt.

» The indebted person is required to repay the debt with direct labor in place of currency.

» The above does not include labor or services performed by a child for the child's parent or guardian.

• Withholding any of the person's government-issued identification documents with the intent to impede the movement of the 

person

• Using any scheme, plan, or pattern intended to cause the person to believe that if the person did not perform the labor or 

services, then the person or a friend or a member of the person's family would suffer serious harm, serious financial loss, or 

physical restraint

• Using or threatening to use any form of domination, restraint, or control over the person which, given the totality of the 

circumstances, would have the reasonably foreseeable effect of causing the person to engage in or to remain engaged in the 

labor or services

The term 'labor' means work of economic or financial value (not including prostitution-related and obscenity-related activities). The 

term 'services' means a relationship between a person and the actor in which the person performs activities under the supervision of 

or for the benefit of the actor or a third party. 'Services' does not include prostitution-related and obscenity-related activities.
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Definitions of Sex Trafficking of Minors 

Citation: Rev. Stat. § 712-1202

A person commits the offense of promoting prostitution in the first degree if the person knowingly:

• Advances prostitution by compelling or inducing a person by force, threat, fraud, or intimidation to engage in prostitution, or 

profits from such conduct by another

• Advances or profits from prostitution of a person younger than age 18

Idaho

Defined in Child Protection Law 

Citation: Idaho Code § 16-1602

The term 'abused' applies to any case in which a child has been the victim of sexual conduct, including rape, molestation, incest, 

prostitution, obscene or pornographic photographing, filming or depiction for commercial purposes, or other similar forms of sexual 

exploitation that harms or threatens the child's health, welfare, or mental health.

Definitions of Labor Trafficking

Citation: Idaho Code § 18-8602

The term 'human trafficking' means the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for labor or 

services, through the use of force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of subjection to involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage, 

or slavery.

Definitions of Sex Trafficking of Minors 

Citation: Idaho Code § 18-8602

The term 'human trafficking' means sex trafficking in which a commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud, or coercion, or in which 

the person induced to perform such act is younger than age 18.

Illinois

Defined in Child Protection Law 

Citation: Comp. Stat. Ch. 325, § 5/3

The term 'abused child' includes a child whose parent, immediate family member, any person responsible for the child's welfare, any 

individual residing in the same home as the child, or a paramour of the child's parent:

• Commits or allows to be committed the offense of involuntary servitude, involuntary sexual servitude of a minor, or trafficking 

in persons, as defined in chapter 720, § 5/10-9, against the child

• Commits or allows to be committed any sex offense against the child, as such sex offenses are defined in the Criminal Code 

of 2012 [chapter 720, § 5/1-1, et seq.] or in the Wrongs to Children Act [chapter 720, § 150/0.01, et seq.], and extending those 

definitions of sex offenses to include children younger than age 18

Definitions of Labor Trafficking

Citation: Comp. Stat. Ch. 720, § 5/10-9

A person commits 'trafficking in persons' when he or she knowingly:

• Recruits, entices, harbors, transports, provides, or obtains by any means, or attempts to recruit, entice, harbor, transport, 

provide, or obtain by any means, another person, intending or knowing that the person will be subjected to involuntary 

servitude

• Benefits, financially or by receiving anything of value, from participation in a venture that has engaged in an act of involuntary 

servitude or involuntary sexual servitude of a minor

A person commits 'involuntary servitude' when he or she knowingly subjects, attempts to subject, or engages in a conspiracy to 

subject another person to labor or services obtained or maintained through any of the following means, or any combination of these 

means:

• Causes or threatens to cause physical harm to any person

• Physically restrains or threatens to physically restrain another person 

• Abuses or threatens to abuse the law or legal process
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• Knowingly destroys, conceals, removes, confiscates, or possesses any actual or purported passport or other immigration 

document, or any other actual or purported government identification document, of another person

• Uses intimidation or exerts financial control over any person

• Uses any scheme, plan, or pattern intended to cause the person to believe that, if the person did not perform the labor or 

services, that person or another person would suffer serious harm or physical restraint

The term 'serious harm' means any harm, whether physical or nonphysical, including psychological, financial, or reputational harm, 

that is sufficiently serious, under all the surrounding circumstances, to compel a reasonable person of the same background and in 

the same circumstances to perform or to continue performing labor or services in order to avoid incurring that harm.

The term 'services' means activities resulting from a relationship between a person and the actor in which the person performs 

activities under the supervision of or for the benefit of the actor. Commercial sexual activity and sexually-explicit performances 

are forms of activities that are 'services' under this section. Nothing in this definition may be construed to legitimize or legalize 

prostitution.

Definitions of Sex Trafficking of Minors 

Citation: Comp. Stat. Ch. 720, § 5/10-9

A person commits 'involuntary sexual servitude of a minor' when he or she knowingly recruits, entices, harbors, transports, provides, 

or obtains by any means, or attempts to recruit, entice, harbor, provide, or obtain by any means, another person younger than age 18, 

knowing that the minor will engage in commercial sexual activity, a sexually-explicit performance, or the production of pornography, 

or causes or attempts to cause a minor to engage in one or more of those activities, and:

• There is no overt force or threat and the minor is between the age 17 and 18.

• There is no overt force or threat and the minor is younger than age 17.

• There is overt force or threat.

The term 'commercial sexual activity' means any sex act on account of which anything of value is given, promised to, or received by 

any person.

The term 'sexually-explicit performance' means a live, recorded, broadcast (including over the Internet), or public act or show 

intended to arouse or satisfy the sexual desires or appeal to the prurient interests of patrons.

Indiana

Defined in Child Protection Law 

Citation: Ann. Code §§ 31-34-1-3.5; 31-9-2-133.1

A child is a child in need of services if, before the child becomes age 18, the child is the victim of:

• Human or sexual trafficking (as defined in § 31-9-2-133.1)

• A human or sexual trafficking offense under the law of another jurisdiction, including Federal law, that is substantially 

equivalent

A child is considered a victim of human or sexual trafficking regardless of whether the child consented to the conduct described 

above.

The term 'victim of human or sexual trafficking' refers to a child who is recruited, harbored, transported, or engaged in:

• Forced labor 

• Involuntary servitude

• Prostitution

• Child exploitation, as defined in § 35-42-4-4(b) 

• Marriage, unless authorized by a court under § 31-11-1-6

• Trafficking for the purpose of prostitution or participation in sexual conduct, as defined in § 35-42-4-4(a)(4)

Definitions of Labor Trafficking

Citation: Ann. Code § 35-42-3.5-1

A person who, by force, threat of force, or fraud, knowingly or intentionally recruits, harbors, or transports another person to engage 

the other person in forced labor or involuntary servitude; or to force the other person into marriage, prostitution, or participating in 

sexual conduct (as defined by § 35-42-4-4), commits promotion of human trafficking, a Level 4 felony.

A person who knowingly or intentionally recruits, harbors, or transports a child younger than age 18 with the intent of engaging the 

child in forced labor or involuntary servitude commits promotion of human trafficking of a minor, a Level 3 felony.
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A person who knowingly or intentionally pays, offers to pay, or agrees to pay money or other property to another person for an 

individual who the person knows has been forced into forced labor, involuntary servitude, or prostitution commits human trafficking, 

a Level 5 felony.

Definitions of Sex Trafficking of Minors 

Citation: Ann. Code § 35-42-3.5-1

A person who knowingly or intentionally recruits, harbors, or transports a child younger than age 18 with the intent of inducing or 

causing the child to engage in prostitution or engage in a performance or incident that includes sexual conduct commits promotion 

of human trafficking of a minor, a Level 3 felony. Except as provided below, it is not a defense to a prosecution under this subsection 

that the child consented to engage in prostitution or to participate in sexual conduct.

It is a defense to a prosecution under this subsection if the child is at least age 14 but younger than age 16 and the person is younger 

than age 18, or all the following apply:

• The person is not more than 4 years older than the victim.

• The relationship between the person and the victim was a dating relationship or an ongoing personal relationship (not 

including a family relationship).

• The crime:

» Was not committed by a person who is at least age 21

» Was not committed by using or threatening the use of deadly force

» Was not committed while armed with a deadly weapon

» Did not result in serious bodily injury

» Was not facilitated by furnishing the victim, without the victim's knowledge, with a drug or a controlled substance or 

knowing that the victim was furnished with the drug or controlled substance without the victim's knowledge

» Was not committed by a person having a position of authority or substantial influence over the victim

• The person has not committed another sex offense against any other person.

A person who is at least age 18 who knowingly or intentionally sells or transfers custody of a child younger than age 18 for the 

purpose of prostitution or participating in sexual conduct commits sexual trafficking of a minor, a Level 2 felony.

Iowa

Defined in Child Protection Law 

Citation: Ann. Stat. § 232.68

The terms 'child abuse' or 'abuse' include:

• Committing a sexual offense with or to a child 

• Allowing, permitting, or encouraging the child to engage in prostitution

• The recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, obtaining, patronizing, or soliciting of a child for the purpose of 

commercial sexual activity as defined in § 710A.1 

'Sex trafficking' means the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, obtaining, patronizing, or soliciting of a person for the 

purpose of commercial sexual activity. 'Sex trafficking victim' means a victim of sex trafficking.

Definitions of Labor Trafficking

Citation: Ann. Stat. § 710A.1

The term 'human trafficking' means participating in a venture to recruit, harbor, transport, supply provisions, or obtain a person for 

the purpose of forced labor or service that results in involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage, or slavery. The term 'forced 

labor or services' means labor or services that are performed or provided by another person and that are obtained or maintained 

through any of the following:

• Causing or threatening to cause serious physical injury to any person

• Physically restraining or threatening to physically restrain another person

• Abusing or threatening to abuse the law or legal process

• Knowingly destroying, concealing, removing, confiscating, or possessing any actual or purported passport or other 

immigration document, or any other actual or purported government identification document, of another person
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The term 'involuntary servitude' means a condition of servitude induced by means of any scheme, plan, or pattern intended to cause 

a person to believe that if the person did not enter into or continue in such condition, that person or another person would suffer 

serious harm or physical restraint or the threatened abuse of legal process.

The term 'debt bondage' means the status or condition of a debtor arising from a pledge of the debtor's personal services or a 

person under the control of a debtor's personal services as a security for debt, if the reasonable value of such services is not applied 

toward the liquidation of the debt or the length and nature of those services are not respectively limited and defined. The term 

'peonage' means a status or condition of involuntary servitude based upon real or alleged indebtedness.

The term 'services' means an ongoing relationship between a person and the actor in which the person performs activities under 

the supervision of or for the benefit of the actor, including commercial sexual activity and sexually explicit performances. The term 

'victim' means a person subjected to human trafficking.

Definitions of Sex Trafficking of Minors 

Citation: Ann. Stat. § 710A.1

The term 'human trafficking' means participating in a venture to recruit, harbor, transport, supply provisions, or obtain a person for 

the purpose of commercial sexual activity through the use of force, fraud, or coercion, except that if the trafficked person is younger 

than age 18, the commercial sexual activity need not involve force, fraud, or coercion. 'Human trafficking' also means knowingly 

purchasing or attempting to purchase services involving commercial sexual activity from a victim or another person engaged in 

human trafficking.

The term 'commercial sexual activity' means any sex act or sexually explicit performance for which anything of value is given, 

promised to, or received by any person and includes, but is not limited to, prostitution, participation in the production of 

pornography, and performance in strip clubs. The term 'sexually explicit performance' means a live or public act or show intended to 

arouse or satisfy the sexual desires or appeal to the prurient interest of patrons.

The term 'services' means an ongoing relationship between a person and the actor in which the person performs activities under the 

supervision of or for the benefit of the actor, including commercial sexual activity and sexually explicit performances.

Kansas

Defined in Child Protection Law 

Citation: Ann. Stat. § 38-2202

The term 'sexual abuse' means any contact or interaction with a child in which the child is being used for the sexual stimulation 

of the perpetrator, the child, or another person. 'Sexual abuse' includes allowing, permitting, or encouraging a child to engage 

in prostitution or to be photographed, filmed, or depicted in pornographic material. 'Sexual abuse' also shall include allowing, 

permitting, or encouraging a child to engage in aggravated human trafficking, as defined § 21-5426(b), if committed in whole or in 

part for the purpose of the sexual gratification of the offender or another.

Definitions of Labor Trafficking

Citation: Ann. Stat. § 21-5426

'Human trafficking' is:

• Intentionally recruiting, harboring, transporting, providing, or obtaining a person for labor or services, through the use of 

force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of subjecting the person to involuntary servitude or forced labor

• Intentionally benefitting financially or by receiving anything of value from participation in a venture that the person has reason 

to know has engaged in acts set forth above

• Knowingly coercing employment by obtaining or maintaining labor or services that are performed or provided by another 

person through any of the following:

» Causing or threatening to cause physical injury to any person

» Physically restraining or threatening to physically restrain another person

» Abusing or threatening to abuse the law or legal process 

» Threatening to withhold food, lodging or clothing

» Knowingly destroying, concealing, removing, confiscating, or possessing any actual or purported government 

identification document of another person

• Knowingly holding another person in a condition of peonage in satisfaction of a debt owed the person who is holding such 

other person
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'Aggravated human trafficking' is human trafficking, as defined above, when the act:

• Involves the commission or attempted commission of kidnapping

• Is committed in whole or in part for the purpose of the sexual gratification of the defendant or another

• Results in a death

Definitions of Sex Trafficking of Minors 

Citation: Ann. Stat. §§ 21-5426; 21-6422

'Aggravated human trafficking' also is committed when the act involves recruiting, harboring, transporting, providing, or obtaining, 

by any means, a person younger than age 18 knowing that the person, with or without force, fraud, threat, or coercion, will be used to 

engage in forced labor, involuntary servitude, or sexual gratification of the defendant or another. 

'Commercial sexual exploitation of a child' is knowingly:

• Giving, receiving, offering, or agreeing to give anything of value to perform any of the following acts: 

» Procuring, recruiting, inducing, soliciting, hiring, or otherwise obtaining any person younger than age 18 to engage in any 

sexual act with the intent to arouse or gratify the sexual desires of the offender or another

» Procuring, recruiting, inducing, soliciting, hiring, or otherwise obtaining a patron where there is an exchange of value, for 

any person younger than age 18 to engage in any sexual act with the intent to arouse or gratify the sexual desires of the 

patron, the offender, or another

• Establishing, owning, maintaining, or managing any property, whether real or personal, where sexual relations are being sold 

or offered for sale by a person younger than age 18

• Permitting any property, whether real or personal, partially or wholly owned or controlled by the defendant, to be used as a 

place where sexual relations are being sold or offered for sale by a person who is younger than age 18

• Procuring transportation for, paying for the transportation of, or transporting any person younger than age 18 within this State 

with the intent of causing, assisting, or promoting that person's engaging in selling sexual relations

Kentucky

Defined in Child Protection Law 

Citation: Rev. Stat. § 600.020

The term 'abused or neglected child' includes a child whose health or welfare is harmed or threatened with harm when:

• His or her parent, guardian, or other person exercising custodial control or supervision: 

» Commits or allows to be committed an act of sexual abuse, sexual exploitation, or prostitution upon the child 

» Creates or allows to be created a risk that an act of sexual abuse, sexual exploitation, or prostitution will be committed 

upon the child

• A person age 21 or older commits or allows to be committed an act of sexual abuse, sexual exploitation, or prostitution upon 

a child younger than age 16.

The term 'sexual abuse' includes, but is not necessarily limited to, any contacts or interactions in which the parent, guardian, person 

in a position of authority or special trust, or other person having custodial control or supervision of the child or responsibility for his 

or her welfare, uses or allows, permits, or encourages the use of the child for the purposes of sexual stimulation of the perpetrator 

or another person. The term 'sexual exploitation' includes, but is not limited to, allowing, permitting, or encouraging the child to 

engage in prostitution or an act of obscene or pornographic photographing, filming, or depicting of a child.

Definitions of Labor Trafficking

Citation: Rev. Stat. §§ 529.010; 509.010; 529.110

The term 'human trafficking' refers to criminal activity whereby one or more persons are subjected to engaging in forced labor or 

services. 'Forced labor or services' means labor or services that are performed or provided by another person and that are obtained 

through force, fraud, or coercion. 'Force, fraud, or coercion' may only be accomplished by the same means and methods as a person 

may be restrained under § 509.010.

The term 'restrain' means to restrict another person's movements in such a manner as to cause a substantial interference with his 

or her liberty by moving him or her from one place to another or by confining him or her either in the place where the restriction 

commences or in a place to which he or she has been moved without consent. A person is moved or confined 'without consent' 

when the movement or confinement is accomplished by physical force, intimidation, or deception, or by any means, including 

acquiescence of a victim, if he or she is younger than age 16 or is substantially incapable of appraising or controlling his or her own 

behavior.
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A 'victim of human trafficking' is a person who has been subjected to human trafficking.

A person is guilty of promoting human trafficking when the person intentionally:

• Benefits financially or receives anything of value from knowing participation in human trafficking

• Recruits, entices, harbors, transports, provides, or obtains by any means, or attempts to recruit, entice, harbor, transport, 

provide, or obtain by any means another person, knowing that the person will be subject to human trafficking

Definitions of Sex Trafficking of Minors 

Citation: Rev. Stat. § 529.010

The term 'human trafficking' refers to criminal activity whereby one or more persons are subjected to engaging in commercial sexual 

activity through the use of force, fraud, or coercion, except that if the trafficked person is younger than age 18, the commercial sexual 

activity need not involve force, fraud, or coercion. The term 'commercial sexual activity' means prostitution, regardless of whether 

the trafficked person can be charged with prostitution; participation in the production of obscene material; or engaging in a sexually 

explicit performance.

The term 'services' means an ongoing relationship between a person and the actor in which the person performs activities under the 

supervision of or for the benefit of the actor. The term 'sexual conduct' means sexual intercourse or any act of sexual gratification 

involving the sex organs.

The term 'sexually explicit performance' means a performance of sexual conduct involving: 

• Acts of masturbation, homosexuality, lesbianism, bestiality, sexual intercourse, or deviant sexual intercourse, actual or 

simulated

• Physical contact with, or willful or intentional exhibition of, the genitals

• Flagellation or excretion for the purpose of sexual stimulation or gratification

• The exposure, in an obscene manner, of the unclothed or apparently unclothed human male or female genitals, pubic area, or 

buttocks, or the female breast, whether or not subsequently obscured by a mark placed thereon, or otherwise altered, in any 

resulting motion picture, photograph, or other visual representation, exclusive of exposure portrayed in matter of a private, 

family nature not intended for distribution outside the family

Louisiana

Defined in Child Protection Law 

Citation: Ch. Code art. 603

The term 'abuse' means an act that seriously endangers the physical, mental, or emotional health and safety of the child, including 

exploitation or overwork of a child by a parent or any other person, including, but not limited to, commercial sexual exploitation of 

the child.

The term 'crime against the child' means the commission or attempted commission of a crime, including:

• The sale of minor children 

• Human trafficking 

• Pornography involving juveniles

• Trafficking of children for sexual purposes

The term 'commercial sexual exploitation' means involvement of the child in human trafficking or trafficking of children for sexual 

purposes, as prohibited by Rev. Stat. §§ 14:46.2 and 46.3, or any prostitution-related offense, as prohibited by Rev. Stat. §§ 81.1, 81.3, 

82, 82.1, 82.2, 83, 83.1, 83.2, 83.3, 83.4, 84, 85, 86, 89.2, 104, 105, and 282. The term 'child pornography' means visual depiction of a 

child engaged in actual or simulated sexual intercourse, deviate sexual intercourse, sexual bestiality, masturbation, sadomasochistic 

abuse, or lewd exhibition of the genitals.

Definitions of Labor Trafficking

Citation: Rev. Stat. § 14:46.2

It shall be unlawful:

• For any person to knowingly recruit, harbor, transport, provide, solicit, receive, isolate, entice, obtain, or maintain the use of 

another person through fraud, force, or coercion to provide services or labor 

• For any person to knowingly benefit from activity prohibited by this section
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• For any person to knowingly facilitate any of the activities prohibited by this section by any means, including, but not limited 

to, helping, aiding, abetting, or conspiring, regardless of whether a thing of value has been promised to or received by the 

person

The term 'debt bondage' means inducing an individual to provide any of the following:

• Commercial sexual activity in payment toward or satisfaction of a real or purported debt

• Labor or services in payment toward or satisfaction of a real or purported debt if either of the following occur:

» The reasonable value of the labor or services provided is not applied toward the liquidation of the debt.

» The length of the labor or services is not limited and the nature of the labor or services is not defined.

The term 'fraud, force, or coercion' shall include, but not be limited to, any of the following:

• Causing or threatening to cause serious bodily injury 

• Physically restraining or threatening to physically restrain another person

• Abduction or threatened abduction of an individual

• The use of a plan, pattern, or statement with intent to cause an individual to believe that failure to perform an act will result in 

the use of force against, abduction of, serious harm to, or physical restraint of an individual 

• The abuse or threatened abuse of law or legal process

• The actual or threatened destruction, concealment, removal, confiscation, or possession of any actual or purported passport 

or other immigration document, or any other actual or purported government identification document, of another person

• Controlling or threatening to control an individual's access to a controlled dangerous substance

• The use of an individual's physical or mental impairment, when such impairment has substantial adverse effects on the 

individual's cognitive or volitional functions

• The use of debt bondage or civil or criminal fraud

• Extortion as defined in Rev. Stat. § 14:66

Definitions of Sex Trafficking of Minors 

Citation: Rev. Stat. § 14:46.3

It shall be unlawful:

• For any person to knowingly recruit, harbor, transport, provide, sell, purchase, receive, isolate, entice, obtain, or maintain the 

use of a person younger than age 18 for the purpose of engaging in commercial sexual activity

• For any person to knowingly benefit from activity prohibited by section

• For any parent, legal guardian, or person having custody of a person younger than age 18 to knowingly permit or consent to 

such minor entering into any activity prohibited by this section

• For any person to knowingly facilitate any of the activities prohibited by this section by any means, including, but not limited 

to, helping, aiding, abetting, or conspiring, regardless of whether a thing of value has been promised to or received by the 

person

• For any person to knowingly advertise any of the activities prohibited by this section

• For any person to knowingly sell or offer to sell travel services that include or facilitate any of the activities prohibited by this 

section

The term 'commercial sexual activity' means any sexual act performed or conducted when anything of value has been given, 

promised, or received by any person.

Consent of the minor shall not be a defense to a prosecution pursuant to this section. Lack of knowledge of the victim's age shall not 

be a defense to a prosecution pursuant to this section.

Maine

Defined in Child Protection Law 

Citation: Ann. Stat. Tit. 22, § 4002

The term 'abuse or neglect' means a threat to a child's health or welfare by sexual abuse or exploitation, including under Title 17-A, 

§§ 282 [sexual exploitation of minor], 852 [aggravated sex trafficking], 853 [sex trafficking], and 855 [patronizing prostitution of a 

minor], by a person responsible for the child.

Definitions of Labor Trafficking

This issue is not addressed in the statutes reviewed.
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Definitions of Sex Trafficking of Minors 

Citation: Ann. Stat. Tit. 17-A, §§ 853; 854

A person is guilty of sex trafficking if the person knowingly promotes prostitution.

A person is guilty of aggravated sex trafficking if the person knowingly:

• Promotes prostitution by compelling a person to enter into, engage in, or remain in prostitution

• Promotes prostitution of a person younger than age 18

• Promotes prostitution of a person who suffers from a mental disability that is reasonably apparent or known to the actor and 

that in fact renders the other person substantially incapable of appraising the nature of the conduct involved

The term 'compelling' includes:

• The use of a drug or intoxicating substance to render a person incapable of controlling that person's conduct or appreciating 

its nature

• Withholding or threatening to withhold a scheduled drug or alcohol from a drug- or alcohol-dependent person

• Making material false statements 

• Withholding, destroying, or confiscating a passport, immigration document, or other government identification document 

with the intent to impair a person's freedom of movement

• Requiring prostitution to be performed to retire, repay or service an actual or purported debt

• Using force or engaging in any scheme, plan or pattern to instill in a person a fear that, if the person does not engage or 

continue to engage in prostitution, the actor or another person will cause harm to the person or the person's property

Maryland

Defined in Child Protection Law 

Citation: Fam. Law § 5-701

The term 'sexual abuse' means any act that involves sexual molestation or exploitation of a child by a parent or other person who has 

permanent or temporary care or custody or responsibility for supervision of a child, or by any household or family member. 'Sexual 

abuse' includes:

• Allowing or encouraging a child to engage in: 

» Obscene photography, films, poses, or similar activity

» Pornographic photography, films, poses, or similar activity

» Prostitution

• Human trafficking

Definitions of Labor Trafficking

Citation: Crim. Law. § 11-303

A person is guilty of the misdemeanor of human trafficking if that person knowingly:

• Takes or causes another to be taken to any place for prostitution

• Place, causes to be placed, or harbors another in any place for prostitution

• Persuades, induces, entices, or encourages another to be taken to or placed in any place for prostitution 

• Receives consideration to procure for or place in a house of prostitution or elsewhere another with the intent of causing the 

other to engage in prostitution or assignation

• Engages in a device, scheme, or continuing course of conduct intended to cause another to believe that if the other did not 

take part in a sexually explicit performance, the other or a third person would suffer physical restraint or serious physical harm

• Destroys, conceals, removes, confiscates, or possesses an actual or purported passport, immigration document, or 

government identification document of another while otherwise violating or attempting to violate this subsection

A parent, guardian, or person who has permanent or temporary care or custody or responsibility for supervision of another may not 

consent to the taking or detention of the other for prostitution.

A person may not knowingly take or detain another with the intent to use force, threat, coercion, or fraud to compel the other to 

marry the person or a third person or perform a sexual act, sexual contact, or vaginal intercourse.
Definitions of Human Trafficking https://www.childwelfare.gov

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Definitions of Sex Trafficking of Minors 

Citation: Crim. Law. § 11-303

A person is guilty of the felony of human trafficking if he or she violates the subsection, and the violation involves a victim who is a 

minor.

It is not a defense to a prosecution under this subsection that the person did not know the age of the victim.

Massachusetts

Defined in Child Protection Law 

Citation: Ann. Laws. Ch. 119, § 21

A 'child requiring assistance' is a child between age 6 and 18 who is a sexually exploited child. A 'sexually exploited child' is any 

person younger than age 18 who has been subjected to sexual exploitation because such person:

• Is the victim of the crime of sexual servitude, pursuant to chapter 265, § 50, or is the victim of the crime of sex trafficking, as 

defined in 22 U.S.C. § 7105

• Engages, agrees to engage, or offers to engage in sexual conduct with another person in return for a fee or in exchange for 

food, shelter, clothing, education, or care

• Is a victim of the crime, whether or not prosecuted, of inducing a minor into prostitution

• Engages in common night walking or common streetwalking

Definitions of Labor Trafficking

Citation: Ann. Laws Ch. 265, §§ 51; 49

A person commits the crime of trafficking of persons for forced services when that person knowingly:

• Subjects, or attempts to subject, another person to forced services or recruits, entices, harbors, transports, provides or 

obtains by any means; or attempts to recruit, entice, harbor, transport, provide or obtain by any means another person 

intending or knowing that such person will be subjected to forced services

• Benefits, financially or by receiving anything of value, as a result of the above

Whoever commits the crime of trafficking of persons for forced services upon a person younger than age 18 shall be punished by 

imprisonment in the State prison for life or for any term of years, but no less than 5 years.

The term 'forced services' means services performed or provided by a person that are obtained or maintained by another person 

who:

• Causes or threatens to cause serious harm to any person

• Physically restrains or threatens to physically restrain another person

• Abuses or threatens to abuse the law or legal process

• Knowingly destroys, conceals, removes, confiscates, or possesses any actual or purported passport or other immigration 

document, or any other actual or purported government identification document, of another person

• Engages in extortion

• Causes or threatens to cause financial harm to any person

The term 'financial harm' means a detrimental position in relation to wealth, property, or other monetary benefits that occurs as a 

result of another person's illegal act including, but not limited to, extortion, usury, or illegal employment contracts.

Definitions of Sex Trafficking of Minors 

Citation: Ann. Laws Ch. 265, §§ 50; 49

A person commits the crime of trafficking of persons for sexual servitude when that person knowingly:

• Subjects, or attempts to subject, or recruits, entices, harbors, transports, provides, or obtains by any means, or attempts to 

recruit, entice, harbor, transport, provide, or obtain by any means, another person to engage in commercial sexual activity, a 

sexually-explicit performance, or the production of unlawful pornography; or causes a person to engage in commercial sexual 

activity, a sexually-explicit performance, or the production of unlawful pornography

• Benefits, financially or by receiving anything of value, as a result of the above

Whoever commits the crime of trafficking of persons for sexual servitude upon a person younger than age 18 shall be punished by 

imprisonment in the State prison for life or for any term of years, but no less than 5 years.

The term 'commercial sexual activity' means any sexual act on account of which anything of value is given, promised to, or received 

by any person. 
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The term 'services' means acts performed by a person under the supervision of or for the benefit of another including, but not 

limited to, commercial sexual activity and sexually-explicit performances. The term 'sexually-explicit performance' means an unlawful 

live or public act or show intended to arouse or satisfy the sexual desires or appeal to the prurient interests of patrons.

Michigan

Defined in Child Protection Law 

Citation: Comp. Laws § 722.622

The term 'sexual abuse' means engaging in sexual contact or sexual penetration with a child as those terms are defined in the penal 

code. The term 'sexual exploitation' includes allowing, permitting, or encouraging a child to engage in prostitution, or allowing, 

permitting, encouraging, or engaging in photographing, filming, or depicting a child engaged in a sexual act.

Definitions of Labor Trafficking

Citation: Comp. Laws §§ 750.462d; 750.462e; 750.462a

It is unlawful for a person to do either of the following:

• Knowingly recruit, entice, harbor, transport, provide, or obtain an individual by any means, knowing that individual will be 

subjected to forced labor or services or debt bondage

• Knowingly benefit financially or receive anything of value from participation in an enterprise that has engaged in an act 

prohibited by this chapter

It is unlawful for a person to recruit, entice, harbor, transport, provide, or obtain by any means a minor for forced labor or services, 

regardless of whether the person knows the age of the minor.

The term 'forced labor or services' means labor or services that are obtained or maintained by force, fraud, or coercion. The term 

'force' includes, but is not limited to, physical violence or threat of physical violence or actual physical restraint or confinement or 

threat of actual physical restraint or confinement without regard to whether injury occurs. The term 'fraud' includes, but is not limited 

to, a false or deceptive offer of employment or marriage.

The term 'coercion' includes, but is not limited to, any of the following:

• Threatening to harm or physically restrain any individual or the creation of any scheme, plan, or pattern intended to cause an 

individual to believe that failure to perform an act would result in psychological, reputational, or financial harm to, or physical 

restraint of, any individual

• Abusing or threatening abuse of the legal system, including threats of arrest or deportation, without regard to whether the 

individual being threatened is subject to arrest or deportation under the laws of this State or the United States

• Knowingly destroying, concealing, removing, confiscating, or possessing any actual or purported passport or other 

immigration document or any other actual or purported government identification document from any individual without 

regard to whether the documents are fraudulent or fraudulently obtained

The term 'debt bondage' includes, but is not limited to, the status or condition of a debt arising from a pledge by the debtor of his 

or her personal services or those of an individual under his or her control as a security for a debt, if the value of those services as 

reasonably assessed is not applied toward the liquidation of the debt or the length and nature of those services are not specifically 

limited and defined.

The term 'financial harm' means any of the following:

• Criminal usury, as prohibited by § 438.41

• Extortion

• Unlawful employment contracts

• Any other adverse financial consequence

Definitions of Sex Trafficking of Minors 

Citation: Comp. Laws §§ 750.462e; 750.462a

It is unlawful for a person to recruit, entice, harbor, transport, provide, or obtain by any means a minor for commercial sexual activity, 

regardless of whether the person knows the age of the minor.

The term 'minor' means an individual who is younger than age 18.
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The term 'commercial sexual activity' means one or more of the following for which anything of value is given or received by any 

person:

• An act of sexual penetration or sexual contact as those terms are defined in § 750.520a

• Any conduct prohibited under § 750.145c [pertaining to child sexually abusive activity or material]

• Any sexually explicit performance as that term is defined in § 722.673

The term 'services' means an ongoing relationship between a person and an individual in which the individual performs activities 

under the supervision of or for the benefit of the person, including, but not limited to, commercial sexual activity and sexually explicit 

performances.

Minnesota

Defined in Child Protection Law 

Citation: Ann. Stat. § 260C.007, Subd. 31

The term 'sexually exploited youth' refers to an individual who: 

• Is alleged to have engaged in conduct that would, if committed by an adult, violate any Federal, State, or local law relating 

to being hired, offering to be hired, or agreeing to be hired by another individual to engage in sexual penetration or sexual 

conduct 

• Is a victim of the crime criminal sexual conduct, criminal sexual predatory conduct, use of minors in sexual performances, or 

possession of child pornography

• Is a victim of the Federal offenses of child pornography or child sex trafficking 

• Is a sex trafficking victim

Definitions of Labor Trafficking

Citation: Ann. Stat. § 609.281

The term 'labor trafficking' means:

• The recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring, enticement, provision, obtaining, or receipt of a person by any means, for 

the purpose of:

» Debt bondage or forced labor or services 

» Slavery or practices similar to slavery

» The removal of organs through the use of coercion or intimidation 

• Receiving profit or anything of value, knowing or having reason to know it is derived from an act described above

The term 'debt bondage' means the status or condition of a debtor arising from a pledge by the debtor of the debtor's personal 

services or those of a person under the debtor's control as a security for debt, if the value of those services as reasonably assessed is 

not applied toward the liquidation of the debt or the length and nature of those services are not respectively limited and defined.

The term 'forced labor or services' means labor or services that are performed or provided by another person and are obtained or 

maintained through an actor's:

• Threat, either implicit or explicit, scheme, plan, or pattern, or other action intended to cause a person to believe that, if the 

person did not perform or provide the labor or services, that person or another person would suffer bodily harm or physical 

restraint

• Physically restraining or threatening to physically restrain a person

• Abuse or threatened abuse of the legal process

• Knowingly destroying, concealing, removing, confiscating, or possessing any actual or purported passport or other 

immigration document, or any other actual or purported government identification document, of another person

• Use of blackmail

The term 'blackmail' means a threat to expose any fact or alleged fact tending to cause shame or to subject any person to hatred, 

contempt, or ridicule.
Definitions of Human Trafficking https://www.childwelfare.gov

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Definitions of Sex Trafficking of Minors 

Citation: Ann. Stat. §§ 609.321; 609.322; 609.325

The term 'sex trafficking' means:

• Receiving, recruiting, enticing, harboring, providing, or obtaining by any means an individual to aid in the prostitution of the 

individual

• Receiving profit or anything of value, knowing or having reason to know it is derived from an act described above

A person commits the crime of 'sex trafficking in the first degree' if he or she:

• Solicits or induces an individual younger than age 18 to practice prostitution

• Promotes the prostitution of an individual younger than age 18

• Receives profit, knowing or having reason to know that it is derived from the prostitution, or the promotion of the prostitution, 

of an individual younger than age 18

• Engages in the sex trafficking of an individual younger than age 18

Consent or mistake as to age shall be no defense to prosecutions under § 609.322.

Mississippi

Defined in Child Protection Law 

Citation: Ann. Code § 43-21-105

The term 'abused child' includes:

• A child who is or has been trafficked within the meaning of the Mississippi Human Trafficking Act by any person, without 

regard to the relationship of the person to the child

• Sexual abuse or sexual exploitation

The term 'sexual abuse' means obscene or pornographic photographing, filming, or depiction of children for commercial purposes, 

or the rape, molestation, incest, prostitution, or other such forms of sexual exploitation of children under circumstances that indicate 

that the child's health or welfare is harmed or threatened.

Definitions of Labor Trafficking

Citation: Ann. Code §§ 97-3-54.1; 97-3-54.4

A person commits the crime of human trafficking when he or she coerces, recruits, entices, harbors, transports, provides, or obtains 

by any means, or attempts to obtain by any means, another person, intending or knowing that the person will be subjected to forced 

labor or services.

The term 'forced labor or services' means labor or services that are performed or provided by another person and are obtained or 

maintained through:

• Causing or threatening to cause serious harm to any person

• Physically restraining or threatening to physically restrain any person

• Abusing or threatening to abuse the law or legal process

• Destroying, concealing, removing, confiscating, or possessing any actual or purported passport or other immigration 

document, or any other actual or purported government identification document, of another person

• Using blackmail or coercion

• Causing or threatening to cause financial harm to any person

• Abusing a position of power

• Using an individual's personal services as payment or satisfaction of a real or purported debt when:

» The reasonable value of the services is not applied toward the liquidation of the debt.

» The length of the services is not limited and the nature of the services is not defined.

» The principal amount of the debt does not reasonably reflect the value of the items or services for which the debt is 

incurred.

» The individual is prevented from acquiring accurate and timely information about the disposition of the debt.

• Using any scheme, plan, or pattern of conduct intended to cause any person to believe that, if the person did not perform the 

labor or services, that person or another person would suffer serious harm or physical restraint
Definitions of Human Trafficking https://www.childwelfare.gov

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The term 'coerce' or 'coercion' means:

• Causing or threatening to cause bodily harm to any person, physically restraining or confining any person, or threatening to 

physically restrain or confine any person

• Exposing or threatening to expose any fact or information or disseminating or threatening to disseminate any fact or 

information that would tend to subject a person to criminal or immigration proceedings, hatred, contempt, or ridicule

• Destroying, concealing, removing, confiscating, or possessing any actual or purported passport or other immigration 

document or any other actual or purported government identification document of any person

• Providing a controlled substance to a person for the purpose of compelling the person to engage in labor or sexual servitude 

against the person's will

• Causing or threatening to cause financial harm to any person or using financial control over any person

• Abusing or threatening to abuse a position of power, the law, or legal process

• Using blackmail 

• Using an individual's personal services as payment or satisfaction of a real or purported debt when:

» The reasonable value of the services is not applied toward the liquidation of the debt.

» The length of the services is not limited and the nature of the services is not defined.

The principal amount of the debt does not reasonably reflect the value of the items or services for which the debt is 

incurred.

» The individual is prevented from acquiring accurate and timely information about the disposition of the debt.

• Using any scheme, plan, or pattern of conduct intended to cause any person to believe that, if the person did not perform the 

labor or services, that the person or another person would suffer serious harm or physical restraint

The term 'blackmail' means obtaining property or things of value of another by threatening to:

• Inflict bodily injury on anyone

• Commit any other criminal offense

• Expose any secret tending to subject any person to hatred, contempt, or ridicule

Definitions of Sex Trafficking of Minors 

Citation: Ann. Code §§ 97-3-54.1; 97-3-54.4

A person commits the crime of procuring sexual servitude of a minor when he or she knowingly subjects or attempts to subject; 

or recruits, entices, harbors, transports, provides, or obtains by any means; or attempts provide or obtain by any means, a minor, 

knowing that the minor will engage in commercial sexual activity, sexually explicit performance, or the production of sexually 

oriented material or causes or attempts to cause a minor to engage in commercial sexual activity, sexually explicit performance, or 

the production of sexually oriented material. It is not a defense in a prosecution under this section that a minor consented to engage 

in the commercial sexual activity, sexually explicit performance, or the production of sexually oriented material, or that the defendant 

reasonably believed that the minor was age 18 or older.

The term 'commercial sexual activity' means any sex act on account of which anything of value is given to, promised to, or received 

by any person.

The term 'services' means an ongoing relationship between a person and the actor in which the person performs activities under 

the supervision of or for the benefit of the actor or a third party and includes, without limitation, commercial sexual activity, sexually 

explicit performances, or the production of sexually explicit materials.

The term 'sexually explicit performance' means a live or public act or show intended to arouse or satisfy the sexual desires or appeal 

to the prurient interests of patrons.

The term 'sexually oriented material' shall have the meaning ascribed in § 97-5-27, including any material that contains 

representations or descriptions, actual or simulated, of masturbation, sodomy, homosexuality, bestiality, sexual intercourse, or 

physical contact with a person's clothed or unclothed genitals, pubic area, buttocks, or the breast or breasts of a female for the 

purpose of sexual stimulation, gratification, or perversion.
Definitions of Human Trafficking https://www.childwelfare.gov

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Missouri

Defined in Child Protection Law 

Citation: Ann. Stat. § 210.110

The term 'abuse' includes sexual abuse.

Definitions of Labor Trafficking

Citation: Ann. Stat. §§ 566.206; 566.215; 566.200

Effective January 1, 2017: A person commits the offense of trafficking for the purposes of slavery, involuntary servitude, peonage, 

or forced labor if he or she knowingly recruits, entices, harbors, transports, provides, or obtains by any means, including, but not 

limited to, through the use of force, abduction, coercion, fraud, deception, blackmail, or causing or threatening to cause financial 

harm, another person for labor or services, for the purposes of slavery, involuntary servitude, peonage, or forced labor, or benefits, 

financially or by receiving anything of value, from participation in such activities.

A person commits the offense of contributing to human trafficking through the misuse of documentation when he or she knowingly:

• Destroys, conceals, removes, confiscates, or possesses a valid or purportedly valid passport, government identification 

document, or other immigration document of another person while committing offenses or with the intent to commit a human 

trafficking offense, pursuant to §§ 566.203 to 566.218

• Prevents, restricts, or attempts to prevent or restrict, without lawful authority, a person's ability to move or travel by restricting 

the proper use of identification in order to maintain the labor or services of a person who is the victim of a human trafficking 

offense

The term 'involuntary servitude or forced labor' means a condition of servitude induced by means of:

• Any scheme, plan, or pattern of behavior intended to cause a person to believe that, if the person does not enter into or 

continue the servitude, such person or another person will suffer serious physical injury or physical restraint

• The abuse or threatened abuse of the legal process

The term 'coercion' includes:

• Threats of serious harm to or physical restraint against any person

• Any scheme, plan, or pattern intended to cause a person to believe that failure to perform an act would result in serious harm 

to or physical restraint against any person

• The abuse or threatened abuse of the legal process

The term 'peonage' means illegal and involuntary servitude in satisfaction of a debt.

The term 'blackmail' means any threat to reveal damaging or embarrassing information about a person to that person's spouse, 

family, associates, or the public at large, including a threat to expose any secret tending to subject any person to hatred, contempt, 

or ridicule.

The term 'commercial sex act' means any sex act on account of which anything of value is given to, promised, or received by any 

person.

The term 'sexual conduct' includes sexual intercourse; deviate sexual intercourse; actual or simulated acts of human masturbation; 

physical contact with a person's clothed or unclothed genitals, pubic area, buttocks, or the breast of a female in an act of apparent 

sexual stimulation or gratification; or any sadomasochistic abuse or acts including animals or any latent objects in an act of apparent 

sexual stimulation or gratification.

The term 'sexual performance' includes any play, motion picture, still picture, film, videotape, video recording, dance, or exhibition 

that includes sexual conduct or nudity, performed before an audience of one or more, whether in person or online or through other 

forms of telecommunication.

Definitions of Sex Trafficking of Minors 

Citation: Ann. Stat. §§ 566.210; 566.211

Effective January 1, 2017: A person commits the offense of 'sexual trafficking of a child' in the first degree if he or she knowingly:

• Recruits, entices, harbors, transports, provides, or obtains by any means, including but not limited to through the use of force, 

abduction, coercion, fraud, deception, blackmail, or causing or threatening to cause financial harm, a person younger than 

age 12 to participate in a commercial sex act, a sexual performance, or the production of explicit sexual material, or benefits 

financially or by receiving anything of value from participation in such activities

• Causes a person younger than age 12 to engage in a commercial sex act, a sexual performance, or the production of explicit 

sexual material
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It shall not be a defense that the defendant believed that the person was age 12 or older.

A person commits the offense of 'sexual trafficking of a child' in the second degree if he or she knowingly:

• Recruits, entices, harbors, transports, provides, or obtains by any means, including but not limited to through the use of force, 

abduction, coercion, fraud, deception, blackmail, or causing or threatening to cause financial harm, a person younger than 

age 18 to participate in a commercial sex act, a sexual performance, or the production of explicit sexual material, or benefits 

financially or by receiving anything of value from participation in such activities

• Causes a person younger than age 18 to engage in a commercial sex act, a sexual performance, or the production of explicit 

sexual material

It shall not be a defense that the defendant believed that the person was age 18 or older.

Montana

Defined in Child Protection Law 

Citation: Ann. Code § 41-3-102

The term 'sexual abuse' means the commission of sexual assault, sexual intercourse without consent, indecent exposure, deviate 

sexual conduct, ritual abuse, or incest. The term 'sexual exploitation' means allowing, permitting, or encouraging a child to engage 

in a prostitution offense or allowing, permitting, or encouraging sexual abuse of children.

Definitions of Labor Trafficking

Citation: Ann. Code §§ 45-5-701; 45-5-702; 45-5-703; 45-5-706

The term 'human trafficking' means the commission of an offense under §§ 45-5-702 and 45-5-703.

A person commits the offense of trafficking of persons if the person purposely or knowingly:

• Recruits, transports, transfers, harbors, receives, provides, obtains, isolates, maintains, or entices another person intending or 

knowing that the person will be subjected to involuntary servitude or sexual servitude

• Benefits, financially or by receiving anything of value, from participation in a venture that has subjected another person to 

involuntary servitude or sexual servitude

A person commits the offense of involuntary servitude if the person purposely or knowingly uses coercion to compel another person 

to provide labor or services, unless the conduct is otherwise permissible under Federal or State law.

An aggravating circumstance during the commission of an offense under this chapter occurs when the defendant recruited, enticed, 

or obtained the victim of the offense from a shelter that serves runaway youth, foster children, homeless persons, or persons 

subjected to human trafficking, domestic violence, or sexual assault.

The term 'coercion' means:

• The use or threat of force against, abduction of, serious harm to, or physical restraint of a person

• The use of a plan, pattern, or statement with the intent to cause a person to believe that failure to perform an act will result in 

the use of force against, abduction of, serious harm to, or physical restraint of a person

• The abuse or threatened abuse of law or legal process

• Controlling or threatening to control a person's access to any substance defined as a dangerous drug

• The actual or threatened destruction or taking of a person's identification document or other property

• The use of debt bondage

• The use of a person's physical or mental impairment when the impairment has a substantial adverse effect on the person's 

cognitive or volitional function

• The commission of civil or criminal fraud

The term 'debt bondage' means inducing a person to provide:

• Commercial sexual activity in payment toward or satisfaction of a real or purported debt

• Labor or services in payment toward or satisfaction of a real or purported debt if:

» The reasonable value of the labor or services is not applied toward the liquidation of the debt

» The length of the labor or services is not limited and the nature of the labor or services is not defined

The term 'identification document' means a passport, driver's license, immigration document, travel document, or other 

government-issued identification document, including a document issued by a foreign government.
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The term 'serious harm' means physical or nonphysical harm, including psychological, economic, or reputational harm to a person 

that would compel a reasonable person of the same background and in the same circumstances to perform or continue to perform 

labor or services or sexual activity to avoid incurring the harm.

Definitions of Sex Trafficking of Minors 

Citation: Ann. Code §§ 45-5-701; 45-5-704; 45-5-705; 45-5-709

The term 'human trafficking' means the commission of an offense under §§ 45-5-704 or 45-5-705.

A person commits the offense of sexual servitude if the person purposely or knowingly:

• Uses coercion or deception to compel an adult to engage in commercial sexual activity

• Recruits, transports, transfers, harbors, receives, provides, obtains by any means, isolates, entices, maintains, or makes 

available a child for the purpose of commercial sexual activity

It is not a defense in a prosecution under this section that the child consented to engage in commercial sexual activity or that the 

defendant believed the child was an adult.

A person commits the offense of patronizing a victim of sexual servitude if the person purposely or knowingly gives, agrees to give, 

or offers to give anything of value so that a person may engage in commercial sexual activity with another person who the person 

knows is a victim of sexual servitude or a child.

A person is not criminally liable or subject to proceedings for prostitution, promoting prostitution, or other nonviolent offenses if the 

person was a child at the time of the offense and committed the offense as a direct result of being a victim of human trafficking.

The term 'commercial sexual activity' means sexual activity for which anything of value is given to, promised to, or received 

by a person. The term 'sexual activity' means any sex act or simulated sex act intended to arouse or gratify the sexual desire 

of any person. The term includes a sexually explicit performance. 'Sexually explicit performance' means a live, public, private, 

photographed, recorded, or videotaped act or simulated act intended to arouse or gratify the sexual desire of any person.

Nebraska

Defined in Child Protection Law 

Citation: Rev. Stat. § 28-710

The term 'child abuse or neglect' includes knowingly, intentionally, or negligently causing or permitting a minor child to be:

• Sexually abused

• Sexually exploited by allowing, encouraging, or forcing the child to solicit for or engage in prostitution, debauchery, public 

indecency, or obscene or pornographic photography, films, or depictions 

Definitions of Labor Trafficking

Citation: Rev. Stat. § 28-830

The term 'labor trafficking' means knowingly recruiting, enticing, harboring, transporting, providing, or obtaining by any means or 

attempting to recruit, entice, harbor, transport, provide, or obtain by any means a person age 18 or older intending or knowing that 

the person will be subjected to forced labor or services.

The term 'labor trafficking of a minor' means knowingly recruiting, enticing, harboring, transporting, providing, or obtaining by any 

means or attempting to recruit, entice, harbor, transport, provide, or obtain by any means a minor intending or knowing that the 

minor will be subjected to forced labor or services.

The term 'forced labor or services' means labor or services that are performed or provided by another person and are obtained or 

maintained through:

• Inflicting or threatening to inflict serious personal injury on another person

• Physically restraining or threatening to physically restrain the other person

• Abusing or threatening to abuse the legal process against another person to cause arrest or deportation for violation of 

Federal immigration law

• Controlling or threatening to control another person's access to a controlled substance

• Exploiting another person's substantial functional impairment or substantial mental impairment

• Knowingly destroying, concealing, removing, confiscating, or possessing any actual or purported passport or other 

immigration document or any other actual or purported government identification document of the other person 

• Causing or threatening to cause financial harm to another person, including debt bondage
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The term 'debt bondage' means inducing another person to provide:

• Commercial sexual activity in payment toward or satisfaction of a real or purported debt

• Labor or services in payment toward or satisfaction of a real or purported debt if:

» The reasonable value of the labor or services is not applied toward the liquidation of the debt.

» The length of the labor or services is not limited, and the nature of the labor or services is not defined.

The term ‘financial harm’ means theft by extortion as described by § 28-513.

The term 'services' means an ongoing relationship between the actor and another person in which the person performs activities 

under the supervision of or for the benefit of the actor.

Definitions of Sex Trafficking of Minors 

Citation: Rev. Stat. § 28-830

The term 'sex trafficking' means knowingly recruiting, enticing, harboring, transporting, providing, or obtaining by any means or 

knowingly attempting to recruit, entice, harbor, transport, provide, or obtain by any means a person age 18 or older for the purpose 

of having such person engage in commercial sexual activity, sexually explicit performance, or the production of pornography or to 

cause or attempt to cause a person age 18 or older to engage in commercial sexual activity, sexually explicit performance, or the 

production of pornography.

The term 'sex trafficking of a minor' means knowingly recruiting, enticing, harboring, transporting, providing, or obtaining by any 

means or knowingly attempting to recruit, entice, harbor, transport, provide, or obtain by any means a minor for the purpose of 

having such minor engage in commercial sexual activity, sexually explicit performance, or the production of pornography or to 

cause or attempt to cause a minor to engage in commercial sexual activity, sexually explicit performance, or the production of 

pornography.

The term 'commercial sexual activity' means any sex act on account of which anything of value is given, promised to, or received by 

any person. The term 'sexually-explicit performance' means a live or public play, dance, show, or other exhibition intended to arouse 

or gratify sexual desire or to appeal to prurient interests.

The term 'services' means an ongoing relationship between the actor and another person in which the person performs activities 

under the supervision of or for the benefit of the actor. Commercial sexual activity and sexually-explicit performances are forms of 

services under this section.

Nevada

Defined in Child Protection Law 

Citation: Rev. Stat. § 432B.110

The term 'sexual exploitation' includes forcing, allowing, or encouraging a child:

• To solicit for or engage in prostitution 

• To engage in filming, photographing, recording on videotape, posing, modeling, depiction, or a live performance before an 

audience that involves the exhibition of a child's genitals or any sexual conduct with a child 

Definitions of Labor Trafficking

Citation: Rev. Stat. §§ 200.463; 200.4631

A person is guilty of holding a person in involuntary servitude if he or she knowingly subjects, or attempts to subject, another person 

to forced labor or services by:

• Causing or threatening to cause physical harm to any person 

• Physically restraining or threatening to physically restrain any person

• Abusing or threatening to abuse the law or legal process

• Knowingly destroying, concealing, removing, confiscating, or possessing any actual or purported passport or other 

immigration document, or any other actual or purported government identification document, of the person

• Extortion

• Causing or threatening to cause financial harm to any person
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A person who has physical custody of a minor, allows a minor to reside in his or her residence, is in a position of authority over a 

minor, or provides care for any length of time to a minor is guilty of holding a minor in involuntary servitude if he or she knowingly:

• Obtains labor or services from the minor by causing or threatening to cause serious harm to the minor or by engaging in a 

pattern of conduct that results in physical injury to the minor

• Benefits, financially or by receiving anything of value from the labor or services obtained by the conduct specified above

Consent of the victim to the performance of any labor or services is not a valid defense to a prosecution conducted pursuant to 

this section. Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit a parent or guardian of a child from requiring his or her child to 

perform common household chores under the threat of the reasonable exercise of discipline by the parent or guardian of the child.

For the purposes of this section, 'physical injury' includes, without limitation:

• A sprain or dislocation

• Damage to cartilage

• A fracture of a bone or the skull

• An injury causing an intracranial hemorrhage or injury to another internal organ

• Permanent or temporary disfigurement, including, without limitation, a burn, scalding, cut, laceration, puncture, or bite

• Permanent or temporary loss or impairment of a part or organ of the body

The term 'serious harm' means any harm, whether physical or nonphysical, including, without limitation, psychological, financial, or 

reputational harm, that is sufficiently serious, under the circumstances, to compel a reasonable person of the same background and 

in the same circumstances as the victim to perform or to continue to provide labor or services to avoid incurring that harm.

Definitions of Sex Trafficking of Minors 

Citation: Rev. Stat. §§ 200.4631; 201.300

A person who has physical custody of a minor, allows a minor to reside in his or her residence, is in a position of authority over a 

minor, or provides care for any length of time to a minor is guilty of holding a minor in involuntary servitude if he or she knowingly:

• Obtains labor or services from the minor by causing or threatening to cause serious harm to the minor or by engaging in a 

pattern of conduct that results sexual abuse or sexual assault of the minor

• Benefits, financially or by receiving anything of value other than sexual gratification from the labor or services obtained by the 

conduct specified above

Consent of the victim to the performance of any labor or services is not a valid defense to a prosecution conducted pursuant to this 

section.

The term 'sexual abuse' includes acts upon a child constituting:

• Lewdness with a child pursuant to § 201.230 

• Sadomasochistic abuse pursuant to § 201.262

• Sexual assault pursuant to § 200.366

• Open or gross lewdness pursuant to § 201.210 

• Mutilation of the genitalia of a female child; aiding, abetting, encouraging, or participating in the mutilation of the genitalia of 

a female child; or removal of a female child from this State for the purpose of mutilating the genitalia of the child, pursuant to § 

200.5083

A person is guilty of sex trafficking if the person induces, causes, recruits, harbors, transports, provides, obtains, or maintains a child 

to engage in prostitution, or to enter any place within this State in which prostitution is practiced, encouraged, or allowed for the 

purpose of sexual conduct or prostitution.

New Hampshire

Defined in Child Protection Law 

Citation: Rev. Stat. § 169-C:3

The term 'sexual abuse' includes:

• The employment, use, persuasion, inducement, enticement, or coercion of any child to engage in or having a child assist any 

other person to engage in any sexually explicit conduct or any simulation of such conduct for the purpose of producing any 

visual depiction of such conduct 

• The rape, molestation, prostitution, or other form of sexual exploitation of children
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Definitions of Labor Trafficking

Citation: Rev. Stat. §§ 633:7; 633.6; 633.5

A person commits the felony of 'trafficking in persons' if that person knowingly compels another person against his or her will to 

perform a service or labor, including a commercial sex act or a sexually-explicit performance, for the benefit of another, where the 

compulsion is accomplished by any of the following means:

• Causing or threatening to cause serious harm to any person

• Confining the person unlawfully or threatening to confine the person

• Abusing or threatening abuse of law or legal process 

• Destroying, concealing, removing, confiscating, or otherwise making unavailable to that person any actual or purported 

passport or other immigration document or any other actual or purported government identification document 

• Threatening to commit a crime against the person

• Making false promises relating to the terms and conditions of employment, education, marriage, or financial support

• Threatening to reveal any information sought to be kept concealed by the person that relates to the person's legal status or 

that would expose the person to criminal liability 

• Facilitating or controlling the person's access to an addictive controlled substance

• Engaging in any scheme, plan, or pattern, whether overt or subtle, intended to cause the person to believe that, if he or she 

did not perform such labor, services, commercial sex acts, or sexually explicit performances, that such person or any person 

would suffer serious harm or physical restraint

• Withholding or threatening to withhold food or medication that the actor has an obligation or has promised to provide to the 

person

• Coercing a person to engage in any of the foregoing acts by requiring such in satisfaction of a debt owed to the actor

A person performs a service or labor against his or her will if the person is coerced into performing the service or labor, or if the 

person willingly begins to perform the service or labor but later attempts to withdraw from performance and is compelled to 

continue performing. The payment of a wage or salary shall not be determinative on the question of whether or not a person was 

compelled to perform a service or labor against his or her will.

The term 'serious harm' includes physical and nonphysical harm. It can be any improper threat of a consequence sufficient under the 

circumstances to compel or coerce a reasonable person in the same situation to provide or continue to provide labor or services, or 

to engage in commercial sex acts or sexually explicit performances.

The term 'abusing or threatening abuse of law or legal process' means using or threatening to use a law or legal process, whether 

administrative, civil, or criminal, in any manner or for any purpose for which the law was not designed, to exert pressure on another 

person to cause that person to take some action or refrain from taking some action.

A person commits 'peonage' if that person knowingly holds a victim in a condition of involuntary servitude in satisfaction of a debt 

owed to the actor. The term 'involuntary servitude' means a condition of servitude in which the victim is forced to work for a person 

by the use or threat of physical restraint or physical injury or by the use or threat of coercion through law or the legal process.

Definitions of Sex Trafficking of Minors 

Citation: Rev. Stat. §§ 633:7; 633.6

A person shall be guilty of a class A felony if that person maintains or makes available an individual younger than age 18 for the 

purpose of engaging the individual in a commercial sex act or sexually explicit performance for the benefit of another.

The term 'commercial sex act' means any sex act for which anything of value is given, promised to, or received, directly or indirectly, 

by any person. The term 'sex act' means any act of sexual contact as defined in § 632-A:1( IV), any act of sexual penetration as defined 

in § 632-A:1(V), or any other sexually explicit conduct as defined in § 649-A:2.

The term 'sexually explicit performance' means an act or show involving one or more sex acts, intended to arouse, satisfy the sexual 

desires of, or appeal to the prurient interests of patrons or viewers, whether public or private, live, photographed, recorded, or 

videotaped.
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New Jersey

Defined in Child Protection Law 

Citation: Ann. Stat. § 9:6-8.21

The terms 'abused child' or 'abused or neglected child' include a child younger than age 18 whose parent, guardian, or other person 

having custody and control commits or allows to be committed an act of sexual abuse against the child.

Definitions of Labor Trafficking

Citation: Ann. Stat. §§ 2C:13-8; 2C:13-9

A person commits the crime of human trafficking if he or she:

• Knowingly holds, recruits, lures, entices, harbors, transports, provides, or obtains, by any means, another to provide labor or 

services:

» By causing or threatening to cause serious bodily harm or physical restraint against the person or any other person

» By means of any scheme, plan, or pattern intended to cause the person to believe that the person or any other person 

would suffer serious bodily harm or physical restraint

» By committing a violation of § 2C:13-5 [criminal coercion] against the person

» By destroying, concealing, removing, confiscating, or possessing any passport, immigration-related document, or other 

document issued by a government agency to any person that could be used as a means of verifying the person's identity 

or age or any other personal identifying information

» By means of the abuse or threatened abuse of the law or legal process

» By means of fraud, deceit, or misrepresentation against the person

» By facilitating access to a controlled dangerous substance

• Receives anything of value from participation as an organizer, supervisor, financier, or manager in a scheme or course of 

conduct that involves human trafficking

A person commits a crime of the second degree if he or she:

• Provides services, resources, or assistance, including financial support, lodging, transportation, the provision of false 

documentation or identification, equipment, facilities, or any other service or property, with the knowledge that the services, 

resources, or assistance are intended to be used in furtherance of the commission of the crime of human trafficking

• Procures or attempts to procure a person to engage in sexual activity or to provide labor or services, knowing that the person 

provided or to be provided was a victim of human trafficking, or under circumstances in which a reasonable person would 

conclude that there was a substantial likelihood that the person was a victim of human trafficking

There shall be a rebuttable presumption that the defendant knew, and that a reasonable person would conclude there was a 

substantial likelihood, that a person was a victim of human trafficking if the person:

• Could not leave the premises where the person provided labor or services without accompaniment of another person or was 

otherwise subjected to significant restrictions on the person's freedom of movement

• Did not possess or have access to any means of communication, including, but not limited to, a cellular or other wireless 

telephone or other electronic communication device, and was not permitted or was otherwise unable to communicate with 

another person without supervision or permission

There shall be a rebuttable presumption that:

• A person knew that a child younger than age 18 procured to engage in sexual activity or for whom attempts were made to 

procure for that activity was a victim of human trafficking.

• A reasonable person would conclude that there was a substantial likelihood that a child younger than age 18 procured to 

engage in sexual activity or for whom attempts were made to procure for that activity was a victim of human trafficking.

Definitions of Sex Trafficking of Minors 

Citation: Ann. Stat. §§ 2C:13-8; 2C:13-10

A person commits the crime of human trafficking if he or she:

• Knowingly holds, recruits, lures, entices, harbors, transports, provides, or obtains, by any means, another person to engage in 

sexual activity as defined in § 2C:34-1(a)(2)

• Knowingly holds, recruits, lures, entices, harbors, transports, provides, or obtains, by any means, a child younger than age 

18 to engage in sexual activity, whether or not the actor mistakenly believed that the child was age 18 or older, even if that 

mistaken belief was reasonable
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A person commits the offense of advertising commercial sexual abuse of a minor if the person:

• Knowingly publishes, disseminates, or displays, or causes directly or indirectly to be published, disseminated, or displayed, 

any advertisement for a commercial sex act that is to take place in this State and that includes the depiction of a minor

• Knowingly purchases advertising in this State for a commercial sex act that includes the depiction of a minor

The term 'advertisement for a commercial sex act' means any advertisement or offer in electronic or print media, including the 

Internet, which includes either an explicit or implicit offer for a commercial sex act to occur in this State. The term 'commercial sex 

act' means any act of sexual contact or sexual penetration, as defined in § 2C:14-1, or any prohibited sexual act, as defined in § 2C:24-

4, for which something of value is given or received by any person.

New Mexico

Defined in Child Protection Law 

Citation: Ann. Stat. § 32A-4-2

The term 'abused child' includes a child who has suffered sexual abuse or sexual exploitation inflicted by the child's parent, guardian, 

or custodian.

The term 'sexual abuse' includes, but is not limited to, criminal sexual contact, incest, or criminal sexual penetration, as those acts are 

defined by State law. 'Sexual exploitation' includes, but is not limited to:

• Allowing, permitting, or encouraging a child to engage in prostitution 

• Allowing, permitting, encouraging, or engaging a child in obscene or pornographic photographing 

• Filming or depicting a child for obscene or pornographic commercial purposes

Definitions of Labor Trafficking

Citation: Ann. Stat. § 30-52-1

'Human trafficking' consists of a person knowingly:

• Recruiting, soliciting, enticing, transporting, or obtaining by any means another person with the intent or knowledge that 

force, fraud, or coercion will be used to subject the person to labor or services

• Benefiting, financially or by receiving anything of value, from the labor or services of another person with the knowledge that 

force, fraud, or coercion was used to obtain the labor or services 

The term 'coercion' means:

• Causing or threatening to cause harm to any person

• Using or threatening to use physical force against any person

• Abusing or threatening to abuse the law or legal process

• Threatening to report the immigration status of any person to government authorities

• Knowingly destroying, concealing, removing, confiscating, or retaining any actual or purported government document of any 

person

Definitions of Sex Trafficking of Minors 

Citation: Ann. Stat. § 30-52-1

'Human trafficking' consists of a person knowingly:

• Recruiting, soliciting, enticing, transporting, or obtaining by any means another person with the intent or knowledge that 

force, fraud, or coercion will be used to subject the person commercial sexual activity 

• Recruiting, soliciting, enticing, transporting, or obtaining by any means a person younger than age 18 with the intent or 

knowledge that the person will be caused to engage in commercial sexual activity

• Benefiting, financially or by receiving anything of value, from the commercial sexual activity of another person with the 

knowledge that force, fraud, or coercion was used to obtain the commercial sexual activity

Whoever commits human trafficking is guilty of a third degree felony, except:

• If the victim is younger than age 16, the person is guilty of a second degree felony.

• If the victim is younger than age 13, the person is guilty of a first degree felony.

The term 'commercial sexual activity' means any sexual act or sexually explicit exhibition for which anything of value is given, 

promised to, or received by any person.
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New York

Defined in Child Protection Law 

Citation: Family Court Act § 1012

The term 'abused child' includes a child younger than age 18 whose parent or other person legally responsible for his or her care:

• Commits or allows to be committed any sex offense against the child, as defined in article 130 of the penal law, including 

sexual misconduct, rape, and sexual abuse

• Allows, permits, or encourages the child to engage in child prostitution, as described in §§ 230.25, 230.30, and 230.32 of the 

penal law 

• Allows the child to engage in acts or conduct to produce, promote, or possess child pornography, as described in article 263 

of the penal law

Definitions of Labor Trafficking

Citation: Penal Code §§ 135.35; 135.37

A person is guilty of 'labor trafficking' if he or she compels or induces another to engage in labor or recruits, entices, harbors, or 

transports such other person by means of intentionally:

• Requiring that the labor be performed to retire, repay, or service a real or purported debt that the actor has caused by a 

systematic ongoing course of conduct with intent to defraud such person

• Withholding, destroying, or confiscating any actual or purported passport, immigration document, or any other actual or 

purported government identification document of another person with intent to impair that person's freedom of movement

• Using force or engaging in any scheme, plan or pattern to compel or induce that person to engage in or continue to engage 

in labor activity by means of instilling a fear in the person that, if the demand is not complied with, the actor or another will do 

one or more of the following:

» Cause physical injury, serious physical injury, or death to a person

» Cause damage to property, other than the property of the actor

» Engage in other conduct constituting a felony or unlawful imprisonment

» Accuse some person of a crime or cause criminal charges or deportation proceedings to be instituted against such person

» Expose a secret or publicize an asserted fact, whether true or false, tending to subject some person to hatred, contempt, 

or ridicule 

» Testify or provide information or withhold testimony or information with respect to another's legal claim or defense

» Use or abuse his or her position as a public servant by performing some act within or related to his or her official duties, or 

by failing or refusing to perform an official duty, in such manner as to affect some person adversely

A person is guilty of 'aggravated labor trafficking' if he or she compels or induces another to engage in labor or recruits, entices, 

harbors, or transports such other person to engage in labor by means of intentionally and unlawfully providing a controlled 

substance to such person with intent to impair that person's judgment.

Definitions of Sex Trafficking of Minors 

Citation: Penal Code §§ 230.33; 230.34

A person is guilty of 'compelling prostitution' when, being age 18 or older, he or she knowingly compels a person younger than age 

18, by force or intimidation, to engage in prostitution.

A person is guilty of 'sex trafficking' if he or she intentionally advances or profits from prostitution by:

• Unlawfully providing to a person who is patronized, with intent to impair that person's judgment, a controlled substance

• Making material false statements

• Withholding, destroying, or confiscating any actual or purported passport, immigration document, or any government 

identification document with intent to impair a person's freedom of movement

• Requiring that prostitution be performed to repay a real or purported debt

• Using force or engaging in any scheme to compel the victim to engage in or continue to engage in prostitution by means of 

instilling a fear in the victim that, if the demand is not complied with, the actor or another will do one or more of the following:

» Cause physical injury, serious physical injury, or death

» Cause damage to property

» Engage in other conduct constituting a felony or unlawful imprisonment

» Cause criminal charges or deportation proceedings to be instituted against some person
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» Expose a secret or publicize an asserted fact, whether true or false, tending to subject some person to hatred, contempt, 

or ridicule

» Testify or provide information or withhold testimony or information with respect to another's legal claim or defense

» Use or abuse his or her position as a public servant by performing some act within or related to his or her official duties, or 

by failing or refusing to perform an official duty, in such manner as to affect some person adversely 

» Perform any other act that is calculated to harm the victim materially with respect to his or her health, safety, or immigration 

status

North Carolina

Defined in Child Protection Law 

Citation: Gen. Stat. § 7B-101

The term 'abused juvenile' means any child younger than age 18 whose parent, guardian, custodian, or caregiver commits or allows 

to be committed the offense of human trafficking, involuntary servitude, or sexual servitude against the child. The term 'abused 

juvenile' includes any child younger than age 18 whose parent, guardian, custodian, or caregiver commits, permits, or encourages 

the commission of a violation of the following laws regarding sexual offenses by, with, or upon the child:

• Unlawful sale, surrender, or purchase of a minor 

• Preparation of obscene photographs, slides, or motion pictures of the juvenile

• Employing or permitting the juvenile to assist in a violation of the obscenity laws

• First- and second-degree sexual exploitation of the juvenile 

• Promoting the prostitution of the juvenile

Definitions of Labor Trafficking

Citation: Gen. Stat. §§ 14-43.11; 14-43.10; 14-43-14

A person commits the offense of 'human trafficking' when that person:

• Knowingly or in reckless disregard of the consequences of the action recruits, entices, harbors, transports, provides, or 

obtains by any means another person with the intent that the other person be held in involuntary servitude

• Willfully or in reckless disregard of the consequences of the action causes a minor to be held in involuntary servitude

The term 'coercion' includes all of the following:

• Causing or threatening to cause bodily harm to any person, physically restraining or confining any person, or threatening to 

physically restrain or confine any person

• Exposing or threatening to expose any fact or information that if revealed would tend to subject a person to criminal or 

immigration proceedings, hatred, contempt, or ridicule

• Destroying, concealing, removing, confiscating, or possessing any actual or purported passport or other immigration 

document or any other actual or purported government identification document of any person

• Providing a controlled substance to a person

The term 'deception' includes all of the following:

• Creating or confirming another's impression of an existing fact or past event that is false and that the accused knows or 

believes to be false

• Maintaining the status or condition of a person arising from a pledge by that person of his or her personal services as security 

for a debt, if the value of those services as reasonably assessed is not applied toward the liquidation of the debt, the length 

and nature of those services are not respectively limited and defined, or preventing a person from acquiring information 

pertinent to the disposition of such debt

• Promising benefits or the performance of services that the accused does not intend to deliver or perform or knows will not be 

delivered or performed

The term 'involuntary servitude' includes the following:

• The performance of labor, whether or not for compensation, or whether or not for the satisfaction of a debt

• Compelling the performance of labor by deception, coercion, or intimidation, using violence or the threat of violence, or by 

any other means of coercion or intimidation
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A person commits the offense of unlawful sale, surrender, or purchase of a minor when that person, acting with willful or reckless 

disregard for the life or safety of a minor, participates in any of the following: the acceptance, solicitation, offer, payment, or 

transfer of any compensation in money, property, or other thing of value, at any time, by any person in connection with the unlawful 

acquisition or transfer of the physical custody of a minor, except as ordered by the court.

Definitions of Sex Trafficking of Minors 

Citation: Gen. Stat. §§ 14-43.11; 14-3.10

A person commits the offense of 'human trafficking' when that person:

• Knowingly or in reckless disregard of the consequences of the action recruits, entices, harbors, transports, provides, or 

obtains by any means another person with the intent that the other person be held in sexual servitude

• Willfully or in reckless disregard of the consequences of the action causes a minor to be held in sexual servitude

The term 'sexual servitude' includes the following:

• Any sexual activity as defined in § 14-190.13 for which anything of value is directly or indirectly given, promised to, or received 

by any person, and the conduct is induced or obtained by coercion or deception or is induced or obtained from a person 

younger than age 18

• Any sexual activity that is performed or provided by any person, and the conduct is induced or obtained by coercion or 

deception or is induced or obtained from a person younger than age 18

Mistake of age is not a defense to prosecution under this section. Consent of a minor is not a defense to prosecution under this 

section.

North Dakota

Defined in Child Protection Law 

Citation: Cent. Code §§ 27-20-2; 50-25.1-02

The term 'deprived child' means a child who is a victim of human trafficking as defined in title 12.1.

The term 'sexually abused child' means an individual younger than age 18 who is subjected by a person responsible for the child's 

welfare or by any individual to sexual abuse, as described in §§ 12.1-20-01 through 12.1-20-07 [including gross sexual imposition, 

continuous sexual abuse of a child, sexual imposition, corruption or solicitation of minors, luring minors by computer or other 

electronic means, sexual abuse of wards, sexual exploitation by a therapist, or sexual assault] and §§ 12.1-20-11 through 12.1-20-12.2 

[including incest, deviate sexual act, indecent exposure, or surreptitious intrusion], or sexual exploitation, as described in chapter 

12.1-27.2 [sexual performances by children]. 

Definitions of Labor Trafficking

Citation: Cent. Code §§ 12.1-41-02; 12.1-41-03; 121.1-40-01; 12.1-40-08

A person commits the offense of 'trafficking an individual' if the person knowingly recruits, transports, transfers, harbors, receives, 

provides, obtains, isolates, maintains, or entices an individual in furtherance of forced labor in violation of § 12.1-41-03. A person 

commits the offense of forced labor if the person knowingly uses coercion to compel an individual to provide labor or services, 

except when that conduct is permissible under Federal law or law of this State other than this chapter.

The term 'coercion' means:

• The use or threat of force against, abduction of, serious harm to, or physical restraint of an individual

• The use of a plan, pattern, or statement with intent to cause an individual to believe that failure to perform an act will result in 

the use of force against, abduction of, serious harm to, or physical restraint of an individual

• The abuse or threatened abuse of law or legal process

• Controlling or threatening to control an individual's access to a controlled substance

• The destruction or taking of or the threatened destruction or taking of an individual's identification document or other 

property

• The use of debt bondage

• The use of an individual's physical or mental impairment when the impairment has a substantial adverse effect on the 

individual's cognitive or volitional function

• The commission of civil or criminal fraud
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The term 'debt bondage' means inducing an individual to provide labor or services in payment toward or satisfaction of a real or 

purported debt if the reasonable value of the labor or services is not applied toward the liquidation of the debt or if the length of the 

labor or services is not limited and the nature of the labor or services is not defined.

The term 'identification document' means a passport, driver's license, immigration document, travel document, or other 

government-issued identification document, including a document issued by a foreign government.

The term 'serious harm' means harm, whether physical or nonphysical, including psychological, economic, or reputational, to an 

individual that would compel a reasonable individual of the same background and in the same circumstances to perform or continue 

to perform labor or services to avoid incurring the harm.

An aggravating circumstance during the commission of an offense of human trafficking occurs when the defendant recruited, 

enticed, or obtained the victim of the offense from a shelter that serves individuals subjected to human trafficking, domestic 

violence, or sexual assault, runaway youth, foster children, or the homeless.

Definitions of Sex Trafficking of Minors 

Citation: Cent. Code §§ 12.1-41-02; 12.1-41-04; 12.1-41-01

A person commits the offense of trafficking an individual if the person knowingly recruits, transports, transfers, harbors, receives, 

provides, obtains, isolates, maintains, or entices an individual in furtherance of sexual servitude in violation of § 12.1-41-04. A person 

commits the offense of 'sexual servitude' if the person knowingly:

• Maintains or makes available a minor for the purpose of engaging the minor in commercial sexual activity

• Uses coercion or deception to compel an adult to engage in commercial sexual activity

It is not a defense in a prosecution that the minor consented to engage in commercial sexual activity or that the defendant believed 

the minor was an adult.

The term 'commercial sexual activity' means sexual activity for which anything of value is given to, promised to, or received, by a 

person.

The term 'debt bondage' means inducing an individual to provide commercial sexual activity in payment toward or satisfaction of 

a real or purported debt if the reasonable value of the labor or services is not applied toward the liquidation of the debt or if the 

length of the labor or services is not limited and the nature of the labor or services is not defined.

The term 'sexual activity' means a 'sexual act' as defined in § 12.1-20-02. The term includes a sexually explicit performance.

Northern Mariana Islands

Defined in Child Protection Law 

Citation: Commonwealth Code Tit. 6, § 1314

A person commits the crime of unlawful exploitation of a minor if, with the intent of producing a live performance, film, audio, video, 

electronic, or electromagnetic recording, photograph, negative, slide, book, newspaper, magazine, or other material that visually 

or aurally depicts the conduct listed below, the person knowingly induces or employs a child younger than age 18 to engage in, or 

photographs, films, records, or televises a child younger than age 18 engaged in, the following actual or simulated conduct:

• Sexual penetration

• The lewd touching of another person's genitals, anus, or breast

• The lewd touching by another person of the child's genitals, anus, or breast 

• Masturbation

• Bestiality

• The lewd exhibition of the child's genitals

• Sexual masochism or sadism

A parent, legal guardian, or person having custody or control of a child younger than age 18 commits the crime of unlawful 

exploitation of a minor if the person permits the child to engage in conduct described above knowing that the conduct is intended 

to be used in producing a live performance, film, audio, video, electronic, or electromagnetic recording, photograph, negative, slide, 

book, newspaper, magazine, or other material that visually or aurally depicts the conduct.
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Definitions of Labor Trafficking

Citation: Commonwealth Code Tit. 6, §§ 1501; 1502; 1503

The term 'forced labor or services' means labor or services that are performed or provided by another person and are obtained or 

maintained through an actor's:

• Causing, attempting to cause, or threatening to cause injury to any person

• Physically restraining, attempting to physically restrain, or threatening to physically restrain any person

• Abusing, attempting to abuse, or threatening to abuse the law or legal process

• Engaging in conduct described in the criminal coercion statute (title 6, § 1431(a))

A person commits the crime of involuntary servitude if the person recklessly, knowingly, or intentionally subjects or attempts to 

subject another person to forced labor or services without due process of law. 

A person commits the crime of human trafficking for involuntary servitude if the person:

• Knowingly recruits, transports, entices, harbors, provides, or obtains by any means another person, knowing or with the intent 

that the person will be subjected to involuntary servitude

• Conspires with another or attempts to engage in conduct described above 

• Benefits financially or receives anything of value from knowing participation in a venture that has engaged in an act described 

above

Definitions of Sex Trafficking of Minors 

Citation: Commonwealth Code Tit. 6, §§ 1504; 1501

A person commits the crime of sexual servitude of a minor if the person:

• Knowingly recruits, entices, harbors, transports, provides, or procures by any means a person under 18 years of age, with the 

intent of inducing the person to engage in any commercial sex act, conduct prohibited under the Sexual Abuse of a Minor Act 

(title 6, §§ 1306-1309), or conduct prohibited under the Unlawful Exploitation of a Minor statute (title 6, § 1314)

• Knowingly recruits, entices, harbors, transports, provides, or procures by any means, a person younger than age 18, knowing 

that another will induce, or attempt to induce, the person being recruited, enticed, harbored, transported, provided, or 

procured, to engage in any commercial sex act or other prohibited conduct

• Knowingly causes or attempts to cause a minor to engage in any commercial sex act or other prohibited conduct

In any prosecution under this section, it is an affirmative defense that at the time of the alleged offense, the defendant reasonably 

believed the victim to be age 18 or older, unless the victim was younger than age 15 at the time of the alleged offense. 

The term 'commercial sex act' means any sex act or sexual conduct, including sexually explicit performances, on account of which 

anything of value is exchanged, given, promised to, or received by any person.

Ohio

Defined in Child Protection Law 

Citation: Rev. Stat. § 2919.22

A person commits the crime of 'endangering children' when the person does any of the following to a child: entice, coerce, permit, 

encourage, compel, hire, employ, use, or allow the child to act, model, or in any other way participate in, or be photographed for, 

the production, presentation, dissemination, or advertisement of any material or performance that the offender knows or reasonably 

should know is obscene, sexually oriented, or nudity-oriented matter.

Definitions of Labor Trafficking

Citation: Rev. Stat. §§ 2905.31; 2905.32

The term 'involuntary servitude' means being compelled to perform labor or services for another against one's will.

A person commits the felony of 'trafficking in persons' if that person knowingly recruits, lures, entices, isolates, harbors, transports, 

provides, obtains, or maintains, or knowingly attempts to recruit, lure, entice, isolate, harbor, transport, provide, obtain, or maintain, 

another person if any of the following applies:

• The offender knows that the other person will be subjected to involuntary servitude.

• The other person is younger than age 16 or is a developmentally disabled person whom the offender knows or has reasonable 

cause to believe is a developmentally disabled person, and the offender knows that the other person will be subjected to 

involuntary servitude.

• The other person is age 16 or 17, and the offender knows that the other person will be subjected to involuntary servitude.
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For the purpose of a prosecution, the element 'compelled' does not require that the compulsion be openly displayed or physically 

exerted. The element 'compelled' has been established if the State proves that the victim's will was overcome by force, fear, duress, 

intimidation, or fraud.

The term 'developmentally disabled person' means a person whose ability to resist or consent to an act is substantially impaired 

because of a mental or physical condition or because of advanced age.

Definitions of Sex Trafficking of Minors 

Citation: Rev. Stat. § 2905.32

A person commits the felony of 'trafficking in persons' if that person knowingly recruits, lures, entices, isolates, harbors, transports, 

provides, obtains, or maintains, or knowingly attempts to provide another person, if any of the following applies:

• The offender knows that the other person will be compelled to engage in sexual activity for hire; engage in a performance that 

is obscene, sexually oriented, or nudity oriented; or be a model or participant in the production of material that is obscene, 

sexually oriented, or nudity oriented.

• The other person is younger than age 16 or is a developmentally disabled person, and the offender knows that the other 

person will be subjected to the offender's knowing recruitment, luring, enticement, isolation, harboring, transportation, 

provision, obtaining, or maintenance of the other person or knowing that the attempt to recruit the other person is for any of 

the following purposes:

» To engage in sexual activity for hire

» To engage in a performance for hire that is obscene, sexually oriented, or nudity oriented

» To be a model or participant for hire in the production of material that is obscene, sexually oriented, or nudity oriented

• The other person is age 16 or 17, and the offender knows that the other person will be subjected to the actions described 

above.

The terms 'sexual activity for hire,' 'performance for hire,' and 'model or participant for hire' mean an implicit or explicit agreement to 

provide sexual activity; engage in an obscene, sexually oriented, or nudity oriented performance; or be a model or participant in the 

production of obscene, sexually oriented, or nudity oriented material, whichever is applicable, in exchange for anything of value.

Oklahoma

Defined in Child Protection Law 

Citation: Ann. Stat. Tit. 10A, § 1-1-105

The term 'sexual exploitation' includes, but is not limited to: 

• Allowing, permitting, encouraging, or forcing a child to engage in prostitution, as defined by law, by any person age 18 or 

older or by a person responsible for the health, safety, or welfare of a child

• Allowing, permitting, encouraging, or engaging in the lewd, obscene, or pornographic photographing, filming, or depicting 

of a child in those acts by a person responsible for the child's health, safety, or welfare

The term 'trafficking in persons' means sex trafficking or severe forms of trafficking in persons as described in title 22, § 7102 of the 

U. S. Code:

• 'Sex trafficking' means the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for the purpose of a 

commercial sex act. 

• 'Severe forms of trafficking in persons' means:

» Sex trafficking in which a commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud, or coercion, or in which the person induced to 

perform such act has not reached age 18

» The recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for labor or services through the use of 

force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of subjection to involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage, or slavery

Definitions of Labor Trafficking

Citation: Ann. Stat, Tit. 21, § 748

The term 'human trafficking' means modern-day slavery that includes, but is not limited to, extreme exploitation and the denial of 

freedom or liberty of an individual for purposes of deriving benefit from that individual's labor. The term 'human trafficking for labor' 

means:

• Recruiting, enticing, harboring, maintaining, transporting, providing, or obtaining, by any means, another person through 

deception, force, fraud, threat, or coercion or for purposes of engaging the person in labor
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• Benefiting, financially or by receiving anything of value, from participation in a venture that has engaged in an act of trafficking 

for labor

The term 'coercion' means compelling, forcing, or intimidating a person to act by:

• Threats of harm or physical restraint against any person

• Any act, scheme, plan, or pattern intended to cause a person to believe that performing, or failing to perform, an act would 

result in serious physical, financial, or emotional harm or distress to or physical restraint against any person

• The abuse or threatened abuse of the law or legal process

• Knowingly destroying, concealing, removing, confiscating, or possessing any actual or purported passport, labor or 

immigration document, or other government identification document, including, but not limited to, a driver's license or birth 

certificate, of another person

• Facilitating or controlling a person's access to any addictive or controlled substance other than for legal medical purposes

• Blackmail

• Demanding or claiming money, goods, or any other thing of value from or on behalf of a prostituted person where such 

demand or claim arises from or is directly related to the act of prostitution

• Determining, dictating, or setting the times or places at which another person will be available to engage in an act of 

prostitution with a third party

• Determining, dictating, or setting the places at which another person will reside for purposes of making such person available 

to engage in an act of prostitution with a third party

The term 'debt bondage' means the status or condition of a debtor arising from a pledge by the debtor of his or her personal 

services or of those of a person under his or her control as a security for debt, if the value of those services as reasonably assessed is 

not applied toward the liquidation of the debt or the length and nature of those services are not respectively limited and defined.

The term 'legal process' means the criminal law, the civil law, or the regulatory system of the Federal government, any State, territory, 

district, commonwealth, or trust territory therein, and any foreign government or subdivision thereof and includes legal civil actions, 

criminal actions, and regulatory petitions or applications.

Definitions of Sex Trafficking of Minors 

Citation: Ann. Stat, Tit. 21, § 748

The term 'human trafficking' means modern-day slavery that includes, but is not limited to, extreme exploitation and the denial 

of freedom or liberty of an individual for purposes of deriving benefit from that individual's commercial sex act. The term 'human 

trafficking for commercial sex' means:

• Recruiting, enticing, harboring, maintaining, transporting, providing, or obtaining, by any means, another person through 

deception, force, fraud, threat, or coercion for purposes of engaging the person in a commercial sex act

• Recruiting, enticing, harboring, maintaining, transporting, providing, purchasing, or obtaining, by any means, a minor for 

purposes of engaging the minor in a commercial sex act

• Benefiting, financially or by receiving anything of value, from participating in a venture that has engaged in an act of trafficking 

for commercial sex

The term 'commercial sex' means any form of commercial sexual activity, including sexually explicit performances, prostitution, 

participation in the production of pornography, performance in a strip club, or exotic dancing or display.

The term 'minor' refers to an individual who is younger than age 18.

The consent of a victim to the activity prohibited by this section shall not constitute a defense.

Oregon

Defined in Child Protection Law 

Citation: Rev. Stat. § 419B.005

The term 'abuse' includes sexual exploitation, including, but not limited to:

• Contributing to the sexual delinquency of a minor

• Conduct that allows, employs, authorizes, permits, induces, or encourages a child to engage in performing for people to 

observe, or the photographing, filming, tape recording, or other exhibition that, in whole or in part, depicts sexual conduct or 

contact, sexual abuse involving a child, or rape of a child 

• Allowing, permitting, encouraging, or hiring a child to engage in prostitution or a commercial sex act, to purchase sex with a 

minor, or to patronize a prostitute
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Definitions of Labor Trafficking

Citation: Rev. Stat. §§ 163.261; 163.263; 163.264; 163.266

The term 'services' means activities performed by one person under the supervision or for the benefit of another person.

A person commits the crime of subjecting another person to involuntary servitude in the second degree if the person knowingly and 

without lawful authority forces or attempts to force the other person to engage in services by:

• Abusing or threatening to abuse the law or legal process

• Destroying, concealing, removing, confiscating, or possessing an actual or purported passport or immigration document or 

another actual or purported government identification document of a person

• Threatening to report a person to a government agency for the purpose of arrest or deportation

• Threatening to collect an unlawful debt

• Instilling in the other person a fear that the actor will withhold from the other person the necessities of life, including, but not 

limited to, lodging, food, and clothing

A person commits the crime of subjecting another person to involuntary servitude in the first degree if the person knowingly and 

without lawful authority forces or attempts to force the other person to engage in services by:

• Causing or threatening to cause the death of or serious physical injury to a person

• Physically restraining or threatening to physically restrain a person

A person commits the crime of trafficking in persons if the person knowingly recruits, entices, harbors, transports, provides, or 

obtains by any means, or attempts to recruit, entice, harbor, transport, provide, or obtain by any means, another person, and:

• The person knows that the other person will be subjected to involuntary servitude.

• The person knowingly benefits financially or receives something of value from participation in a venture that involves an act of 

involuntary servitude.

Definitions of Sex Trafficking of Minors 

Citation: Rev. Stat. §§ 163.266; 167.002

A person commits the crime of 'trafficking in persons' if the person knowingly recruits, entices, harbors, transports, provides, or 

obtains by any means, or attempts to recruit, entice, harbor, transport, provide, or obtain by any means, another person, and:

• The person knows or recklessly disregards the fact that force, fraud, or coercion will be used to cause the other person to 

engage in a commercial sex act.

• The person knows or recklessly disregards the fact that the other person is younger than age 15 and will be used in a 

commercial sex act.

A person commits the crime of trafficking in persons if the person knowingly benefits financially or receives something of value from 

participation in a venture that involves an act prohibited by the above subsection or §§ 163.263 or 163.264.

The term 'commercial sex act' means sexual conduct or sexual contact, as those terms are defined in § 167.002, performed in return 

for a fee or anything of value.

The term 'sexual conduct' means sexual intercourse or deviate sexual intercourse. The term 'sexual contact' means any touching of 

the sexual organs or other intimate parts of a person not married to the actor for the purpose of arousing or gratifying the sexual 

desire of either party.

Pennsylvania

Defined in Child Protection Law 

Citation: Cons. Stat. Tit. 23, § 6303

The term 'sexual abuse or exploitation' means any of the following:

• The employment, use, persuasion, inducement, enticement, or coercion of a child to engage in or assist another individual to 

engage in sexually explicit conduct, including, but not limited to, the following:

» Looking at the sexual or other intimate parts of a child or another individual for the purpose of arousing or gratifying sexual 

desire in any individual

» Participating in sexually explicit conversation either in person, by telephone, by computer, or by a computer-aided device 

for the purpose of sexual stimulation or gratification of any individual

» Actual or simulated sexual activity or nudity for the purpose of sexual stimulation or gratification of any individual
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» Actual or simulated sexual activity for the purpose of producing visual depiction, including photographing, videotaping, 

computer depicting, or filming

• Any of the following offenses committed against a child:

» Prostitution, as defined in 18 Pa.C.S. § 5902

» Sexual abuse of children, as defined in 18 Pa.C.S. § 6312

» Unlawful contact with a minor, as defined in 18 Pa.C.S. § 6318 

» Sexual exploitation of children, as defined in 18 Pa.C.S. § 6320

Definitions of Labor Trafficking

Citation: Cons. Stat. Tit. 18, §§ 3001; 3011; 3012

The term 'human trafficking' means any activity in violation of § 3011 (relating to trafficking in individuals) either alone or in 

conjunction with an activity in violation of § 3012 (relating to involuntary servitude). The term 'involuntary servitude' includes labor 

servitude or sexual servitude. The term 'labor servitude' refers to labor that is performed or provided by another individual and is 

induced or obtained by any of the means set forth in § 3012(b) (relating to involuntary servitude).

The term 'debt coercion' means the exploitation of the status or condition of a debtor arising from a pledge by the debtor of the 

personal services of the debtor or an individual under the debtor's control as a security or payment for debt, if any of the following 

apply:

• The value of those services as reasonably assessed is not applied toward the liquidation of the debt.

• The length and nature of those services are not limited and defined.

• The principal amount of the debt does not reasonably reflect the value of the items or services for which the debt was 

incurred.

• The debtor is coerced to perform sex acts as payment for the debt.

• The creditor controls and determines the movement, housing, and services performed by the debtor until repayment of the 

debt.

A 'minor' is an individual who is younger than age 18.

The term 'serious harm' means any harm, whether physical or nonphysical, that is sufficiently serious, under all the surrounding 

circumstances, to compel a reasonable person of the same background and in the same circumstances as the victim of human 

trafficking to perform or to continue performing labor or a service, a commercial sex act, or a performance involving sex acts in order 

to avoid incurring that harm.

A person commits the felony of 'trafficking in individuals' in the second degree if the person:

• Recruits, entices, solicits, harbors, transports, provides, obtains, or maintains an individual if the person knows or recklessly 

disregards that the individual will be subject to involuntary servitude

• Knowingly benefits financially or receives anything of value from any act that facilitates any activity described above

A person commits the felony of 'involuntary servitude' in the first degree if the person knowingly subjects an individual to labor 

servitude or sexual servitude, except when the conduct is permissible under a Federal or State law other than this chapter. A person 

may subject an individual to involuntary servitude through any of the following means:

• Causing or threatening to cause serious harm to any individual

• Physically restraining or threatening to physically restrain another individual

• Kidnapping or attempting to kidnap any individual

• Abusing or threatening to abuse the legal process 

• Taking or retaining the individual's personal property or real property as a means of coercion

• Engaging in unlawful conduct with respect to documents, as defined in § 3014

• Extortion, fraud, or criminal coercion

• Duress through the use of or threat to use unlawful force against the person or another

• Debt coercion

• Facilitating or controlling the individual's access to a controlled substance

• Using any scheme, plan, or pattern intended to cause the individual to believe that, if the individual does not perform the 

labor, services, acts, or performances, that individual or another individual will suffer serious harm or physical restraint
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Definitions of Sex Trafficking of Minors 

Citation: Cons. Stat. Tit. 18, §§ 3001; 3011

The term 'sexual servitude' means any sex act or performance involving a sex act for which anything of value is directly or indirectly 

given, promised to, or received by any individual or which is performed or provided by any individual, and is induced or obtained 

from:

• A minor

• Any other individual by any of the means set forth in § 3012(b) (relating to involuntary servitude)

The term 'sex act' means any touching or exposure of the sexual or other intimate parts of any individual for the purpose of gratifying 

sexual desire of any individual.

A person commits a felony of 'trafficking in individuals' in the first degree if the person engages in any activity listed above that 

results in a minor being subjected to sexual servitude.

Puerto Rico

Defined in Child Protection Law 

Citation: Ann. Laws Tit. 8, § 444

The term 'abuse' means to engage in obscene behavior and/or use the minor to carry out obscene acts. The term 'sexual abuse' 

means engaging in sexual conduct in the presence of a child and/or using the child, voluntarily or otherwise, to engage in sexual 

conduct aimed at satisfying lewdness, or any other act that, if criminally prosecuted, would constitute any of the following crimes: 

sexual assault, lewd acts, indecent exposure, or indecent proposals; or remitting, transporting, selling, distributing, publishing, 

exhibiting, or possessing obscene materials and obscene shows.

Definitions of Labor Trafficking

Citation: Ann. Laws Tit. 33, §§ 4795; 4796

A person commits the misdemeanor 'restriction of freedom' when that person unlawfully restricts another person in such a manner 

so as to interfere substantially with his or her freedom.

A fourth-degree felony shall be incurred if the crime of 'restriction of freedom' is committed with concurrence of any of the following 

circumstances:

• By means of violence, intimidation, fraud, or deceit

• By simulating to be a public authority

• By any public official or employee abusing the powers inherent to his or her authority or duties

• Under the pretext that the restricted person suffers an illness or mental disability

• To a person who is younger than age 18, has disabilities and is unable to care for him- or herself, or is mentally ill

Definitions of Sex Trafficking of Minors 

Citation: Ann. Laws Tit. 33, §§ 4780; 4781

A person commits the fourth-degree felony of pimping or pandering if the person:

• Promotes or enables the prostitution of another person, even with the consent of that person, for profit or to satisfy the 

lewdness of another

• Makes the prostitution of others his or her habitual means of livelihood

• Promotes or enables the entry or exit from the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico of another person, even with the consent of that 

person, to have the person practice prostitution or sodomy

Any person who commits the crime described above shall incur a third-degree felony if any of the following circumstances concur:

• The victim is younger than age 18.

• There is deceit, violence, abuse of authority, or any means of intimidation or coercion.

• The perpetrator is an ascendant, descendent, spouse, brother, sister, guardian, or the person in charge of the education, 

guardianship, or has the custody of the victim.

• The prostitution or sodomy of more than one person is promoted or enabled.
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Rhode Island

Defined in Child Protection Law 

Citation: Gen. Laws § 40-11-2

The term 'abused and/or neglected child' includes a child whose physical or mental health or welfare is harmed or threatened with 

harm when his or her parent or other person responsible for his or her welfare: 

• Sexually exploits the child in that the person allows, permits, or encourages the child to engage in prostitution 

• Sexually exploits the child in that the person allows, permits, encourages, or engages in the obscene or pornographic 

photographing, filming, or depiction of the child in a setting that, taken as a whole, suggests to the average person that the 

child is about to engage in or has engaged in any sexual act, or that depicts any such child under age 18 performing sodomy, 

oral copulation, sexual intercourse, masturbation, or bestiality

Definitions of Labor Trafficking

Citation: Gen. Laws §§ 11-67-2; 11-67-3; 11-67-1

A person commits the felony of 'involuntary servitude' when that person knowingly subjects, attempts to subject, or engages in a 

conspiracy to subject another person to forced labor or commercial sexual activity by any of the following:

• Causing or threatening to cause physical harm to any person

• Physically restraining or threatening to physically restrain another person

• Abusing or threatening to abuse the law or legal process

• Destroying, concealing, removing, confiscating, or possessing without that person's consent any actual or purported passport 

or other immigration document, or any other actual or purported government identification document, of another person 

• Using intimidation

A person commits the felony of 'trafficking of persons for forced labor or commercial sexual activity' when that person knowingly:

• Recruits, entices, harbors, transports, provides, or obtains by any means, or attempts to recruit, entice, harbor, transport 

provide, or obtain by any means, another person, intending or knowing that the person will be subjected to forced labor in 

order to commit a commercial sexual activity 

• Benefits, financially or by receiving anything of value, from knowing participation in a venture which has engaged in an act of 

trafficking of persons

The term 'intimidation' means an intentional written, verbal, or physical act or threat of a physical act that, under the totality of 

circumstances, a reasonable person should know will have the effect of physically harming, damaging a person's property, placing a 

person in reasonable fear of harm to his or her person or to his or her family, or placing a person in reasonable fear of damage to his 

or her property.

The term 'forced labor' means labor performed or provided by another person that is obtained or maintained through:

• Any scheme, plan, or pattern intending to cause or threatening to cause physical harm to any person

• An actor's physically restraining or threatening to physically restrain another person

• An actor's abusing or threatening to abuse the law or legal process

• An actor's knowingly destroying, concealing, removing, confiscating, or possessing without a person's consent any actual or 

purported passport or other immigration document, or any other actual or purported government identification document, of 

another person

• Blackmail or intimidation

Definitions of Sex Trafficking of Minors 

Citation: Gen. Laws § 11-67-6

A person commits the felony of 'sex trafficking of a minor' when that person:

• Recruits, employs, entices, solicits, isolates, harbors, transports, provides, persuades, obtains, or maintains, or so attempts, 

any minor for the purposes of commercial sex acts

• Sells or purchases a minor for the purposes of commercial sex acts

• Benefits, financially or by receiving anything of value, from participation in a venture that has engaged in an act described 

above

In a prosecution under this section, the government need not prove that the defendant knew the victim's age.
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The term 'commercial sex act' means any sex act or sexually explicit performance on account of which anything of value is given, 

promised to, or received, directly or indirectly, by any person. A 'minor' is any person who is younger than age 18. The term 'person' 

includes an individual, corporation, partnership, association, a government body, a municipal corporation, or any other legal entity.

The term 'sex act' means sexual intercourse, cunnilingus, fellatio, anal intercourse, digital intrusion or intrusion by any object into 

the genital opening or anal opening of another person's body, or the stimulation by hand of another's genitals for the purposes of 

arousing or gratifying the sexual desire of either person.

The term 'sexually explicit performance' means an act or show, intended to arouse, satisfy the sexual desires of, or appeal to the 

prurient interests of patrons or viewers, whether public or private, live, photographed, recorded, or videotaped.

South Carolina

Defined in Child Protection Law 

Citation: Ann. Code § 63-7-20

'Child abuse or neglect' or 'harm' occurs when the parent, guardian, or other person responsible for the child's welfare commits or 

allows to be committed against the child a sexual offense as defined by the laws of this State or engages in acts or omissions that 

present a substantial risk that a sexual offense as defined in the laws of this State would be committed against the child.

Definitions of Labor Trafficking

Citation: Ann. Code §§ 16-3-2020; 16-3-2010

A person is guilty of trafficking in persons when that person recruits, entices, solicits, isolates, harbors, transports, provides, or 

obtains, or so attempts, a victim:

• Knowing that the victim will be subjected to sex trafficking, forced labor or services, involuntary servitude, or debt bondage 

through any means or who benefits, financially or by receiving anything of value, from participation in a venture that has 

engaged in an act of trafficking

• For the purposes of sex trafficking, forced labor or services, involuntary servitude or debt bondage through any means or who 

benefits, financially or by receiving anything of value, from participation in a venture which has engaged in an act of trafficking 

in persons

The term 'trafficking in persons' refers to when a victim is subjected to or a person attempts to subject a victim to sex trafficking, 

forced labor or services, involuntary servitude, or debt bondage by employing one of the following:

• Physically restraining or threatening to physically restrain another person 

• Knowingly destroying, concealing, removing, confiscating, or possessing an actual or purported passport or other 

immigration document or another actual or purported government identification document of the victim

• Extortion or blackmail

• Causing or threatening to cause financial harm to the victim

• Facilitating or controlling a victim's access to a controlled substance

• Coercion

The term 'debt bondage' means the status or condition of a debtor arising from a pledge by the debtor of his personal services or 

those of a person under his control as a security for debt, if the value of those services as reasonably assessed is not applied toward 

the liquidation of the debt, the length and nature of those services are not respectively limited and defined, or if the principal 

amount of the debt does not reasonably reflect the value of the items or services for which the debt was incurred.

The term 'forced labor' means any type of labor or services performed or provided by a person rendered through another person's 

coercion of the person providing the labor or services. This definition does not include labor or services performed or provided by a 

person in the custody of the Department of Corrections or a local jail, detention center, or correctional facility.

The term 'involuntary servitude' means a condition of servitude induced through coercion.

Definitions of Sex Trafficking of Minors 

Citation: Ann. Code § 16-3-2010

The term 'sex trafficking' means the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for one of the 

following when it is induced by force, fraud, or coercion or the person performing the act is younger than age 18 and anything of 

value is given, promised to, or received, directly or indirectly, by another person:

• Criminal sexual conduct pursuant to § 16-3-651

• Criminal sexual conduct in the first degree pursuant to § 16-3-652 
Definitions of Human Trafficking https://www.childwelfare.gov

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• Criminal sexual conduct in the second degree pursuant to § 16-3-653

• Criminal sexual conduct in the third degree pursuant to § 16-3-654

• Criminal sexual conduct with a minor pursuant to § 16-3-655

• Engaging a child for sexual performance pursuant to § 16-3-810

• Producing, directing, or promoting sexual performance by a child pursuant to § 16-3-820

• Sexual battery pursuant to § 16-3-651

• Sexual conduct pursuant to § 16-3-800 

• Sexual performance pursuant to § 16-3-800

South Dakota

Defined in Child Protection Law 

Citation: Ann. Laws § 26-8A-2

The term 'abused or neglected child' includes a child who is subject to sexual abuse, sexual molestation, or sexual exploitation by 

the child's parent, guardian, custodian, or any other person responsible for the child's care.

Definitions of Labor Trafficking

Citation: Ann. Laws § 22-49-1

A person commits the crime of human trafficking in the second degree if that person:

• Recruits, harbors, transports, provides, receives, or obtains, by any means, another person knowing that force, fraud, or 

coercion will be used to cause the person to engage in prostitution, forced labor, or involuntary servitude 

• Benefits financially or by receiving anything of value from participation in a venture that has engaged in acts set forth in this 

section

Definitions of Sex Trafficking of Minors 

Citation: Ann. Laws § 22-49-2

A person commits the crime of human trafficking in the first degree if the acts set forth in § 22-49-1:

• Involve committing or attempting to commit kidnapping

• Involve a victim younger than age 18

• Involve prostitution or procurement for prostitution

• Result in the death of a victim

Tennessee

Defined in Child Protection Law 

Citation: Ann. Code §§ 37-1-102; 37-1-602

The term 'severe child abuse' includes the commission of any act towards the child prohibited by §§ 39-13-502 [aggravated rape], 

39-13-504 [aggravated sexual battery], 39-13-515 [promoting prostitution], 39-13-522 [rape of a child], 39-15-302 [incest], 39-15-402 

[aggravated child abuse, neglect, or endangerment], and 39-17-1005 [aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor], or the knowing 

failure to protect the child from the commission of any such act towards the child.

'Child sexual abuse' means the commission of any act involving the unlawful sexual abuse, molestation, fondling, or carnal 

knowledge of a child under age 13 that, on or after November 1, 1989, constituted the criminal offense of:

• Aggravated rape, sexual battery, or sexual exploitation of a minor 

• Criminal attempt for any of the offenses listed above

• Especially aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor 

• Incest

• Rape, sexual battery, or sexual exploitation of a minor

The term 'child sexual abuse' also includes sexual exploitation of a child, which includes allowing, encouraging, or forcing a child to 

solicit for or engage in prostitution or engage in sexual exploitation.
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Definitions of Labor Trafficking

Citation: Ann. Code §§ 39-13-314; 39-13-307; 39-13-308; 39-13-301

The term 'human trafficking offense' means the commission of any act that constitutes the crime of:

• Involuntary labor servitude, under § 39-13-307

• Trafficking persons for forced labor or services, under § 39-13-308

A person commits the offense of involuntary labor servitude who knowingly subjects, or attempts to subject, another person to 

forced labor or services by:

• Causing or threatening to cause serious bodily harm to the person

• Physically restraining or threatening to physically restrain the person

• Abusing or threatening to abuse the law or legal process

• Knowingly destroying, concealing, removing, confiscating, or possessing any actual or purported passport or other 

immigration document, or any other actual or purported government identification document, of the person

• Using blackmail or using or threatening to cause financial harm for the purpose of exercising financial control over the person

• Facilitating or controlling the person's access to an addictive controlled substance

• Controlling the person's movements through threats or violence

A person commits the offense of trafficking persons for forced labor or services who knowingly:

• Recruits, entices, harbors, transports, provides, or obtains by any means, or attempts to recruit, entice, harbor, transport, 

provide, or obtain by any means, another person, intending or knowing that the person will be subjected to involuntary 

servitude

• Benefits, financially or by receiving anything of value, from participation in a venture that has engaged in an act above

The term 'blackmail' means threatening to expose or reveal the identity of another or any material, document, secret, or other 

information that might subject a person to hatred, contempt, ridicule, loss of employment, social status, or economic harm.

The term 'coercion' means:

• Causing or threatening to cause bodily harm to any person, physically restraining or confining any person, or threatening to 

physically restrain or confine any person 

• Exposing or threatening to expose any fact or information that, if revealed, would tend to subject a person to criminal or 

immigration proceedings, hatred, contempt, or ridicule

• Destroying, concealing, removing, confiscating, or possessing any actual or purported passport or other immigration 

document, or any other actual or purported government identification document, of any person 

• Providing a controlled substance or a controlled substance analogue to a person

The term 'deception' means:

• Creating or confirming another person's impression of an existing fact or past event that is false and that the accused knows 

or believes to be false

• Maintaining the status or condition of a person arising from a pledge by that person of personal services as security for a debt, 

if the value of those services as reasonably assessed is not applied toward the liquidation of the debt or the length and nature 

of those services are not respectively limited and defined, or preventing a person from acquiring information pertinent to the 

disposition of the debt

• Promising benefits or the performance of services that the accused does not intend to deliver or perform or knows will not be 

delivered or performed

The term 'financial harm' includes extortion, as defined by § 39-14-112; criminal violation of the usury laws, as defined by § 47-14-112; 

or employment contracts that violate the statute of fraud, as defined by § 29-2-101(b).

The term 'involuntary servitude' means the condition of a person who is compelled by force, coercion, or imprisonment and against 

the person's will to labor for another, whether paid or not.

Definitions of Sex Trafficking of Minors 

Citation: Ann. Code §§ 39-13-314; 39-13-309; 39-13-301

The term 'human trafficking offense' means the commission of any act that constitutes:

• Trafficking for commercial sex act, under § 39-13-309

• Promoting the prostitution of a minor, under § 39-13-512
Definitions of Human Trafficking https://www.childwelfare.gov

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A person commits the offense of trafficking a person for a commercial sex act who:

• Knowingly subjects, attempts to subject, benefits from, or attempts to benefit from another person's provision of a 

commercial sex act

• Recruits, entices, harbors, transports, provides, purchases, or obtains by any other means, another person for the purpose of 

providing a commercial sex act, using means that include, but are not limited to:

» Causing or threatening to cause physical harm to the person

» Physically restraining or threatening to physically restrain the person

» Abusing or threatening to abuse the law or legal process

» Knowingly destroying, concealing, removing, confiscating, or possessing any actual or purported passport or other 

immigration document, or any other actual or purported government identification document, of the person

» Using blackmail or using or threatening to cause financial harm for the purpose of exercising financial control over the 

person

» Facilitating or controlling a person's access to a controlled substance

It is not a defense to a violation of this section that the victim of the offense is a minor who consented to the act or acts constituting 

the offense.

The term 'commercial sex act' means:

• Any sexually explicit conduct for which anything of value is directly or indirectly given, promised to or received by any person, 

and the conduct is induced or obtained by coercion or deception or is induced or obtained from a person younger than age 

18

• Any sexually explicit conduct that is performed or provided by any person, and the conduct is induced or obtained by 

coercion or deception or is induced or obtained from a person younger than age 18

Texas

Defined in Child Protection Law 

Citation: Fam. Code § 261.001

The term 'abuse' includes the following acts or omissions by a person:

• Compelling or encouraging the child to engage in sexual conduct (as defined by § 43.01, Penal Code), including conduct 

that constitutes an offense of trafficking of persons (§ 20A.02(a)(7) or (8), Penal Code), prostitution (§ 43.02(b), Penal Code), or 

compelling prostitution (§ 43.05(a)(2), Penal Code)

• Causing, permitting, encouraging, engaging in, or allowing the photographing, filming, or depicting of the child if the person 

knew or should have known that the resulting photograph, film, or depiction of the child is obscene (as defined by § 43.21, 

Penal Code) or pornographic 

• Causing, permitting, encouraging, engaging in, or allowing a sexual performance by a child (as defined by § 43.25, Penal 

Code)

• Knowingly causing, permitting, encouraging, engaging in, or allowing a child to be trafficked in a manner punishable as an 

offense under § 20A.02(a)(5), (6), (7), or (8), Penal Code, or the failure to make a reasonable effort to prevent a child from being 

trafficked in a manner punishable as an offense under any of those sections

Definitions of Labor Trafficking

Citation: Penal Code §§ 20A.01; 20A.02

The term 'traffic' means to transport, entice, recruit, harbor, provide, or otherwise obtain another person by any means. The term 

'forced labor or services' means labor or services, other than labor or services that constitute sexual conduct, that are performed or 

provided by another person and obtained through an actor's use of force, fraud, or coercion.

A person commits an offense if the person knowingly:

• Traffics another person with the intent that the trafficked person engage in forced labor or services

• Receives a benefit from participating in a venture that involves an activity described above, including by receiving labor or 

services the person knows are forced labor or services

• Traffics another person and through force, fraud, or coercion causes the trafficked person to engage in conduct prohibited by 

law, including:

» Prostitution(§ 43.02)

» Promotion of prostitution (§ 43.03)
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» Aggravated promotion of prostitution 

» Compelling prostitution (§ 43.05)

• Receives a benefit from participating in a venture that involves an activity described above or engages in sexual conduct with 

a person who has been trafficked

• Traffics a child with the intent that the trafficked child engage in forced labor or services 

• Receives a benefit from participating in a venture that involves trafficking a child, including by receiving labor or services the 

person knows are forced labor or services

An offense under this section is a felony of the second degree, except that the offense is a felony of the first degree if:

• The offense involves trafficking of a child, regardless of whether the actor knows the age of the child at the time the actor 

commits the offense.

• The commission of the offense results in the death of the person who is trafficked.

Definitions of Sex Trafficking of Minors 

Citation: Penal Code §§ 20A.02; 20A.01

A person commits an offense if the person knowingly:

• Traffics a child and by any means causes the trafficked child to engage in, or become the victim of, conduct prohibited by law, 

including:

» Continuous sexual abuse of a young child or children (§ 21.02)

» Indecency with a child (§ 21.11)

» Sexual assault (§ 22.011) 

» Aggravated sexual assault (§ 22.021)

» Prostitution (§ 43.02)

» Promotion of prostitution (§ 43.03)

» Aggravated promotion of prostitution (§ 43.04)

» Compelling prostitution (§ 43.05)

» Sexual performance by a child (§ 43.25)

» Employment harmful to children (§ 43.251)

» Possession or promotion of child pornography (§ 43.26)

• Receives a benefit from participating in a venture that involves an activity that involves trafficking of a child or engages in 

sexual conduct with a child who has been trafficked in the manner described in this section

An offense under this section is a felony of the second degree, except that the offense is a felony of the first degree if:

• The offense involves trafficking of a child, regardless of whether the actor knows the age of the child at the time the actor 

commits the offense.

• The commission of the offense results in the death of the person who is trafficked.

The term 'child' means a person younger than age 18.

Utah

Defined in Child Protection Law 

Citation: Ann. Code § 78A-6-105

The term 'abuse' includes:

• Sexual exploitation and sexual abuse

• Human trafficking of a child in violation of § 76-5-308.5

The term 'sexual exploitation' means knowingly:

• Employing, using, persuading, inducing, enticing, or coercing any child to:

» Pose in the nude for the purpose of sexual arousal of any person

» Engage in any sexual or simulated sexual conduct for the purpose of photographing, filming, recording, or displaying in 

any way the sexual or simulated sexual conduct

• Displaying, distributing, possessing for the purpose of distribution, or selling material depicting a child:

» In the nude, for the purpose of sexual arousal of any person

» Engaging in sexual or simulated sexual conduct
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• Engaging in conduct that would constitute an offense under § 76-5b-201, Sexual Exploitation of Children, regardless of 

whether the person who engages in the conduct is actually charged with or convicted of the offense

Definitions of Labor Trafficking

Citation: Ann. Code § 76-5-308

An actor commits human trafficking for forced labor or forced sexual exploitation if the actor recruits, harbors, transports, obtains, 

patronizes, or solicits a person through the use of force, fraud, or coercion by means of:

• Threatening serious harm to, or physical restraint against, that person or a third person

• Destroying, concealing, removing, confiscating, or possessing any passport, immigration document, or other government 

identification document

• Abusing or threatening abuse of the law or legal process against the person or a third person

• Using a condition of a person being a debtor due to a pledge of the debtor's personal services or the personal services of a 

person under the control of the debtor as a security for debt, when the reasonable value of the services is not applied toward 

the liquidation of the debt or the length and nature of those services are not respectively limited and defined

• Using a condition of servitude by means of any scheme, plan, or pattern intended to cause a person to believe that if the 

person did not enter into or continue in a condition of servitude, that person or a third person would suffer serious harm or 

physical restraint or would be threatened with abuse of legal process

Human trafficking for forced labor includes forced labor in industrial facilities, sweatshops, households, agricultural enterprises, 

and any other workplace. Human trafficking for forced sexual exploitation includes all forms of forced commercial sexual activity, 

including forced sexually explicit performance, forced prostitution, forced participation in the production of pornography, forced 

performance in strip clubs, and forced exotic dancing or display.

Definitions of Sex Trafficking of Minors 

Citation: Ann. Code § 76-5-308.5

An actor commits human trafficking of a child if the actor recruits, harbors, transports, obtains, patronizes, or solicits a child for 

sexual exploitation or forced labor. Human trafficking of a child for forced labor includes labor in industrial facilities, sweatshops, 

households, agricultural enterprises, or any other workplace. Human trafficking of a child for sexual exploitation includes all forms 

of commercial sexual activity with a child, including sexually explicit performance, prostitution, participation in the production of 

pornography, performance in a strip club, and exotic dancing or display. The term 'commercial sexual activity with a child' means any 

sexual act with a child, on account of which anything of value is given to or received by any person.

Vermont

Defined in Child Protection Law 

Citation: Ann. Stat. Tit. 33, § 4912

The term 'sexual abuse' consists of any act or acts by any person involving sexual molestation or exploitation of a child, including:

• Prostitution

• Lewd and lascivious conduct involving a child

• Aiding, abetting, counseling, hiring, or procuring of a child to perform or participate in any photograph, motion picture, 

exhibition, show, representation, or other presentation that, in whole or in part, depicts sexual conduct, sexual excitement, or 

sadomasochistic abuse involving a child

• Viewing, possessing, or transmitting child pornography

• Human trafficking

Definitions of Labor Trafficking

Citation: Ann. Stat. Tit. 13, §§ 2652; 2651

No person shall knowingly:

• Subject a person to labor servitude

• Recruit, entice, harbor, transport, provide, or obtain a person for the purpose of subjecting the person to labor servitude

• Benefit, financially or by receiving anything of value, from participation in a venture, knowing that a person will be subject to 

labor servitude as part of the venture
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The term 'blackmail' means the extortion of money, labor, commercial sexual activity, or anything of value from a person through use 

of a threat to expose a secret or publicize an asserted fact, whether true or false, that would tend to subject the person to hatred, 

contempt, ridicule, or prosecution.

The term 'coercion' means:

• The threat of serious harm, including physical or financial harm to, or physical restraint against any person

• Any scheme, plan, or pattern intended to cause a person to believe that failure to perform an act would result in serious bodily

or financial harm to or physical restraint of any person

• The abuse or threatened abuse of law or the legal process

• Withholding, destroying, or confiscating any actual or purported passport, immigration document, or any other government

identification document of another person

• Providing a drug, including alcohol, to another person with the intent to impair the person's judgment or maintain a state of

chemical dependence

• Wrongfully taking, obtaining, or withholding any property of another person

• Blackmail

• Asserting control over the finances of another person

• Debt bondage

• Withholding or threatening to withhold food or medication

The term 'debt bondage' means a condition or arrangement in which a person requires that a debtor or another person under the 

control of a debtor perform labor, services, sexual acts, sexual conduct, or a sexually explicit performance in order to retire, repay, or 

service a real or purported debt that the person has caused with the intent to defraud the debtor.

The term 'labor servitude' means labor or services performed or provided by a person that are induced or maintained through force, 

fraud, or coercion. 'Labor servitude' shall not include labor or services performed by a family member of a person who is engaged in 

the business of farming unless force, fraud, or coercion is used.

Definitions of Sex Trafficking of Minors 

Citation: Ann. Stat. Tit. 13, §§ 2652; 2651

No person shall knowingly:

• Recruit, entice, harbor, transport, provide, or obtain by any means a person younger than age 18 for the purpose of having the

person engage in a commercial sex act

• Recruit, entice, harbor, transport, provide, or obtain a person through force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of having the

person engage in a commercial sex act

• Compel a person through force, fraud, or coercion to engage in a commercial sex act

• Benefit financially or by receiving anything of value from participation in a venture, knowing that force, fraud, or coercion was

or will be used to compel any person to engage in a commercial sex act as part of the venture

The term 'commercial sex act' means any sexual act, sexual conduct, or sexually explicit performance on account of which anything 

of value is promised to, given to, or received by any person.

The term 'sexual act' shall have the same meaning as in § 3251(1) of this title. The term 'sexual conduct' shall have the same meaning 

as in § 2821(2) of this title.

The term 'sexually explicit performance' means a public, live, photographed, recorded, or videotaped act or show that:

• Depicts a sexual act or sexual conduct

• Is intended to arouse, satisfy the sexual desires of, or appeal to the prurient interests of patrons or viewers

• Lacks literary, artistic, political, or scientific value

Virgin Islands

Defined in Child Protection Law 

Citation: Ann. Code Tit. 5, § 2502

The term 'abuse' includes the sexual abuse of a child, as defined by law, or the sexual exploitation of a child, including the 

prostituting of a child, and the photographing or other depiction of a child for pornographic purposes, or a persistent course of 

sexual conduct that causes a child's health or welfare to be harmed or threatened.
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Definitions of Labor Trafficking

Citation: Ann. Code Tit. 14, §§ 133; 134

The term 'forced labor or services' means labor or services that are performed or provided by another person and obtained through 

an actor's:

• Threatening to cause bodily injury to another

• Restraining another in a manner described by § 1051 of this title

• Withholding from another person his or her government records, identifying information, or personal property

The term 'traffic' means to transport another person or to entice, recruit, harbor, provide, or otherwise obtain another person for 

transport by deception, coercion, or force.

A person commits a felony if the person knowingly traffics another person with the intent that the trafficked person engage in:

• Forced labor or services

• Labor or services that violate the labor laws of the Virgin Islands or the United States

Definitions of Sex Trafficking of Minors 

Citation: Ann. Code Tit. 14, § 134

A person commits a felony if the person knowingly traffics another person with the intent that the trafficked person engage in 

conduct that constitutes an offense under chapter 81 (pertaining to prostitution).

Virginia

Defined in Child Protection Law 

Citation: Ann. Code § 63.2-100

The term 'abused or neglected child' includes any child younger than age 18 whose parents or other person responsible for his or 

her care commits or allows to be committed any act of sexual exploitation or any sexual act upon a child in violation of the law.

Definitions of Labor Trafficking

This issue is not addressed in the statutes reviewed.

Definitions of Sex Trafficking of Minors 

Citation: Ann. Code § 18.2-357.1

Any person who, with the intent to receive money or other valuable thing or to assist another in receiving money or other valuable 

thing from the earnings of a person from prostitution or unlawful sexual intercourse in violation of § 18.2-346(A), solicits, invites, 

recruits, encourages, or otherwise causes or attempts to cause a person to violate § 18.2-346(A) is guilty of a Class 5 felony.

Any person who violates the above subsection through the use of force, intimidation, or deception is guilty of a Class 4 felony. Any 

adult who violates the above with a person who is younger than age 18 is guilty of a Class 3 felony.

Washington

Defined in Child Protection Law 

Citation: Rev. Code § 26.44.020

The term 'abuse or neglect' includes the sexual abuse or sexual exploitation of a child by any person under circumstances that 

indicate that the child's health, welfare, and safety are harmed.

The term 'sexual exploitation' includes:

• Allowing, permitting, or encouraging a child to engage in prostitution by any person 

• Allowing, permitting, encouraging, or engaging in the obscene or pornographic photographing, filming, or depicting of a 

child by any person

Definitions of Labor Trafficking

Citation: Rev. Code §§ 9A.40.010; 9A.40.100; 9A.40.110

The term 'forced labor' means knowingly providing or obtaining labor or services of a person by:

• Threats of serious harm to, or physical restraint against, that person or another person

• Any scheme, plan, or pattern intended to cause the person to believe that, if the person did not perform such labor or 

services, that person or another person would suffer serious harm or physical restraint
Definitions of Human Trafficking https://www.childwelfare.gov

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This publication is available online at https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/systemwide/laws-policies/statutes/defintions-trafficking/.

The term 'involuntary servitude' means a condition of servitude in which the victim was forced to work by the use or threat of physical 

restraint or physical injury, by the use of threat of coercion through law or legal process, or through coercion.

The term 'restrain' means to restrict a person's movements without consent and without legal authority in a manner that interferes 

substantially with his or her liberty. Restraint is 'without consent' if it is accomplished by (a) physical force, intimidation, or deception, 

or (b) any means including acquiescence of the victim if he or she is a child younger than age 16 or an incompetent person and if the 

parent, guardian, or other person or institution having lawful control or custody of him or her has not acquiesced.

The term 'serious harm' means any harm, whether physical or nonphysical, including psychological, financial, or reputational harm, 

that is sufficiently serious, under all the surrounding circumstances, to compel a reasonable person of the same background and in 

the same circumstances to perform or to continue performing labor, services, or a commercial sex act in order to avoid incurring that 

harm.

A person commits the crime of trafficking when that person:

• Recruits, harbors, transports, transfers, provides, obtains, buys, purchases, or receives by any means another person knowing, 

or in reckless disregard of the fact, that force, fraud, or coercion will be used to cause the person to engage in forced labor, 

involuntary servitude, a sexually explicit act, or a commercial sex act, or that the person is younger than age 18 and is caused 

to engage in a sexually explicit act or a commercial sex act

• Benefits financially or by receiving anything of value from participation in a venture that has engaged in acts set forth above

A person is guilty of coercion of involuntary servitude if he or she coerces another person to perform labor or services by:

• Withholding or threatening to withhold or destroy documents relating to a person's immigration status 

• Threatening to notify law enforcement officials that a person is present in the United States in violation of Federal immigration 

laws

Coercion does not include reports to law enforcement that a person is present in the United States in violation of Federal 

immigration laws. A person may commit coercion of involuntary servitude regardless of whether the person provides any sort of 

compensation or benefits to the person who is coerced.

Definitions of Sex Trafficking of Minors 

Citation: Rev. Code § 9A.40.100

A person commits the crime of trafficking when that person:

• Recruits, harbors, transports, transfers, provides, obtains, buys, purchases, or receives by any means another person knowing, 

or in reckless disregard of the fact, that force, fraud, or coercion will be used to cause the person to engage in a sexually 

explicit act or a commercial sex act, or that the person is younger than age 18 and is caused to engage in a sexually explicit act 

or a commercial sex act

• Benefits financially or by receiving anything of value from participation in a venture that has engaged in acts set forth above

If the victim of any offense identified in this section is a minor, force, fraud, or coercion are not necessary elements of an offense and 

consent to the sexually explicit act or commercial sex act does not constitute a defense.

The term 'commercial sex act' means any act of sexual contact or sexual intercourse for which something of value is given or received 

by any person. The term 'sexually explicit act' means a public, private, or live photographed, recorded, or videotaped act or show 

intended to arouse or satisfy the sexual desires or appeal to the prurient interests of patrons for which something of value is given or 

received.

West Virginia

Defined in Child Protection Law 

Citation: Ann. Code § 49-1-201

The term 'sexual exploitation' means an act whereby a parent, guardian, or custodian:

• Persuades, induces, entices, or coerces a child to engage in sexually explicit conduct, whether for financial gain or not 

• Persuades, induces, entices, or coerces a child to display his or her sex organs for the sexual gratification of the parent, 

guardian, custodian, or a third person, or to display his or her sex organs under circumstances in which the parent, guardian, or 

custodian knows such display is likely to be observed by others who would be affronted or alarmed
Definitions of Human Trafficking https://www.childwelfare.gov

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This publication is available online at https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/systemwide/laws-policies/statutes/defintions-trafficking/.

Definitions of Labor Trafficking

Citation: Ann. Code § 61-2-17

The term 'human trafficking' means the labor trafficking or sex trafficking involving adults or minors when two or more persons are 

trafficked within any 1-year period.

The term 'labor trafficking' means the promotion, recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring, enticement, provision, obtaining, 

or receipt of a person by any means, whether a United States citizen or foreign national, for the purpose of:

• Debt bondage or forced labor or services 

• Slavery or practices similar to slavery

The term 'debt bondage' means the status or condition of a debtor arising from a pledge by the debtor of the debtor's personal 

services or those of a person under the debtor's control as a security for debt, if the value of those services as reasonably assessed is 

not applied toward the liquidation of the debt or the length and nature of those services are not respectively limited and defined.

The term 'forced labor or services' means labor or services that are performed or provided by another person and are obtained or 

maintained through a person's:

• Threat, either implicit or explicit, deception or fraud, scheme, plan, or pattern, or other action intended to cause a person to 

believe that, if the person did not perform or provide the labor or services that person or another person would suffer serious 

bodily harm or physical restraint

• Physically restraining or threatening to physically restrain a person

• Abuse or threatened abuse of the legal process

• Knowingly destroying, concealing, removing, confiscating, or possessing any actual or purported passport or other 

immigration document or any other actual or purported government identification document of another person

'Forced labor or services' does not include:

• Work or services provided by a minor to the minor's parent or legal guardian so long as the legal guardianship or custody of 

the minor was not obtained for the purpose compelling the minor to participate in commercial sex acts or sexually explicit 

performance, or perform forced labor or services

• Labor or services required to be performed by a person in compliance with a court order or as a required condition of 

probation, parole, or imprisonment.

Definitions of Sex Trafficking of Minors 

Citation: Ann. Code § 61-2-17

The term 'sex trafficking of minors' means the promotion, recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring, enticement, provision, 

obtaining, or receipt of a person younger than age 18 by any means, whether a United States citizen or foreign national, for the 

purpose of causing the minor to engage in sexual acts, or in sexual conduct violating the provisions of § 61-8-5(b) [prostitution] or §§ 

61-8C-1 et seq. [child pornography].

The term 'sex trafficking of adults' means the promotion, recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring, enticement, provision, 

obtaining, or receipt of a person age 18 or older, whether a United States citizen or foreign national, for the purposes of engaging 

in prostitution by means of force; threat; coercion; deception; abuse or threatened abuse of the legal process; or any scheme, plan, 

pattern, or other action intended to cause a person to believe that, if the person did not engage in prostitution that person or 

another person would suffer serious bodily harm or physical restraint.

Wisconsin

Defined in Child Protection Law 

Citation: Ann. Stat. § 48.02

The term 'abuse' includes the following:

• Sexual exploitation of a child 

• Permitting, allowing, or encouraging a child to engage in prostitution

Definitions of Labor Trafficking

Citation: Ann. Stat. § 940.302

The term 'trafficking' means recruiting, enticing, harboring, transporting, providing, or obtaining or attempting to recruit, entice, 

harbor, transport, provide, or obtain, an individual.
Definitions of Human Trafficking https://www.childwelfare.gov

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This publication is available online at https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/systemwide/laws-policies/statutes/defintions-trafficking/.

A person commits the crime of trafficking if:

• One of the following applies:

» The trafficking is for the purposes of labor or services.

» The trafficking is for the purposes of a commercial sex act.

• The trafficking is done by any of the following:

» Causing or threatening to cause bodily harm to any individual

» Causing or threatening to cause financial harm to any individual

» Restraining or threatening to restrain any individual

» Violating or threatening to violate a law

» Destroying, concealing, removing, confiscating, or possessing or threatening to destroy, conceal, remove, confiscate, 

or possess, any actual or purported passport or any other actual or purported official identification document of any 

individual

» Extortion

» Fraud or deception

» Debt bondage

» Controlling or threatening to control any individual's access to an addictive controlled substance

» Using any scheme, pattern, or other means to directly or indirectly coerce, threaten, or intimidate any individual

» Using or threatening to use force or violence on any individual

» Causing or threatening to cause any individual to do any act against the individual's will or without the individual's consent

A person commits a felony if that person:

• Benefits in any manner from trafficking if the person knows or reasonably should have known that the benefits come from or 

are derived from an act of trafficking

• Receives compensation from the earnings of debt bondage, a prostitute, or a commercial sex act

The term 'commercial sex act' means any of the following for which anything of value is given to, promised, or received, directly or 

indirectly, by any person:

• Sexual contact

• Sexual intercourse

• Sexually explicit performance

• Any other conduct done for the purpose of sexual humiliation, degradation, arousal, or gratification

The term 'debt bondage' means the condition of a debtor arising from the debtor's pledge of services as a security for debt if the 

reasonable value of those services is not applied toward repaying the debt or if the length and nature of the services are not defined. 

The term 'services' means activities performed by one individual at the request, under the supervision, or for the benefit of another 

person.

Definitions of Sex Trafficking of Minors 

Citation: Ann. Stat. § 948.051

Effective May 29, 2017: A person commits a felony if that person:

• Knowingly recruits, entices, provides, obtains, harbors, transports, patronizes, or solicits or knowingly attempts to recruit, 

entice, provide, obtain, harbor, transport, patronize, or solicit any child for the purpose of commercial sex acts

• Benefits in any manner from a violation of the above if the person knows that the benefits come from an act described above

Wyoming

Defined in Child Protection Law 

Citation: Ann. Stat. § 14-3-202

The term 'abuse' includes the commission or allowing the commission of a sexual offense against a child, as defined by law. 

Definitions of Labor Trafficking

Citation: Ann. Stat. §§ 6-2-701; 6-2-702; 6-2-703

A person commits human trafficking in the first degree when the person intentionally or knowingly recruits, transports, transfers, 

harbors, receives, provides, obtains, isolates, maintains, or entices an individual for the purpose of forced labor or servitude, sexual 

servitude, or sexual servitude of a minor.
Definitions of Human Trafficking https://www.childwelfare.gov

64

This material may be freely reproduced and distributed. However, when doing so, please credit Child Welfare Information Gateway. 

This publication is available online at https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/systemwide/laws-policies/statutes/defintions-trafficking/.

A person commits human trafficking in the second degree when the person recklessly recruits, transports, transfers, harbors, 

receives, provides, obtains, isolates, maintains, or entices an individual for the purpose of forced labor or servitude, sexual servitude, 

or sexual servitude of a minor.

The term 'coercion' means any one or more of the following:

• The use or threat of force, abduction, serious harm to, or physical restraint against any individual

• The use of a scheme, plan, pattern, or fraudulent statement with the intent to cause an individual to believe that failure to 

perform an act will result in serious harm to or physical restraint against any individual

• The abuse or threatened abuse of the law or legal process

• The abuse of a position of power or taking advantage of a position of vulnerability

• Providing a controlled substance to an individual for the purpose of controlling the person's behavior

• Interfering with lawful custody of or access to an individual's children

• The destruction of, taking of, or the threat to destroy or take an individual's identification document

• The use of an individual's personal services as security payment or satisfaction for a real or purported debt if: 

» The reasonable value of the services is not applied toward the liquidation of the debt.

» The length of the services is not limited and their nature is not defined

» The principal amount of the debt does not reasonably reflect the value of the items or services for which the debt was 

incurred.

» The individual is prevented from acquiring accurate and timely information about the disposition of the debt.

The term 'deception' means:

• A person's creation or confirmation of an individual's impression of material fact or event that is false and that the person 

knows or has reason to believe is false, including:

» The nature of labor or services to be provided 

» The fundamental conditions of labor

» The extent to which the individual will be free to leave the individual's place of residence or workplace

• The promise of a benefit to or performance of a service to an individual that the person does not intend to be delivered or 

performed

The term 'forced services' means services performed or provided by a person that are obtained or maintained by another person 

who:

• Causes or threatens to cause serious harm to any person

• Physically restrains or threatens to physically restrain another person 

• Abuses or threatens to abuse the law or legal process

• Knowingly destroys, conceals, removes, or confiscates any actual or purported passport or other immigration document, or 

any other actual or purported government identification document, of another person

• Engages in blackmail

• Causes or threatens to cause financial harm to any person 

The term 'serious harm' means physical or nonphysical harm or property damage, including, but not limited to, bodily injury, 

economic loss, personal injury, or reputational harm sufficient to compel a reasonable person of the same background and in the 

same circumstance of the victim to perform or to continue performing labor, a service, or a commercial sex act in order to avoid 

incurring that harm.

Definitions of Sex Trafficking of Minors 

Citation: Ann. Stat. §§ 6-2-701; 6-2-705; 6-2-706

The term 'commercial sex act' means any sexual act for which anything of value is given to, promised, or received by a person in 

exchange for the sexual act. The term 'services' means activities resulting from a relationship between a person and the actor in 

which the person performs activities under the supervision of or for the benefit of the actor. Commercial sexual activity is 'services' in 

this article.
Definitions of Human Trafficking https://www.childwelfare.gov

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 

Administration for Children and Families 

Administration on Children, Youth and Families 

Children’s Bureau

A person is guilty of sexual servitude of an adult when the person intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly uses coercion, deception, or 

fraud to compel an individual age 18 or older to engage in commercial sexual services.

A person is guilty of sexual servitude of a minor when the person intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly offers, obtains, procures, or 

provides an individual younger than age 18 to engage in commercial sexual services.

It is not a defense in a prosecution under this section that the individual consented to engage in commercial sexual services or that 

the defendant reasonably believed the individual was at least age 18.