13abc.com: Breaking News, Weather and SportsState rep.: Safe Harbor Act will protect kids

State rep.: Safe Harbor Act will protect kids

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The state of Ohio may not strike you as a place where young girls are recruited and sold for sex.  But in reality, it is and so is Toledo.  According to FBI task force reports, Toledo has been identified as a major hub for recruiting children for commercial sex exploitation.  In fact, a 2012 study, found more than 1,000 kids are being trafficked and Ohio Governor John Kasich is taking notice.

In his State of the State address on Tuesday he said, "1,000 of our kids age 13, are in this.  Can you imagine someone snatching your daughter and forcing them into prostitution."  Ohio Representative, Teresa Fedor hopes now that the Governor is on board, her legislation, The Safe Harbor Act, will quickly become law.

"I'm really pressing all the authorities within my authority to respond to this appropriately and cleaned up," Fedor said.

The bill is designed to protect children, keeping victims of trafficking out of jail and instead get the help they need.  It will also require poster with a hotline number be posted in places where authorities know victims travel. "Ohio has received over 800 phone calls from the national hotline and we've been able to rescue many victims," Fedor said.

She hopes the legislation will save even more kids and said, "I believe if we clean this up we will clean up many of the other issues we care about and work so hard to fix."

The hope is to have the Act through the state House and Senate before their summer break.

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