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On 28 September 2016, the web site Downtrend published an article reporting that California had passed a law legalizing child prostitution: While Downtrend insisted that there is no misinterpretation of what they've done here, they didn't quite provide the whole story. On 26 September 2016, California Governor Jerry Brown approved legislation that decriminalized prostitution in the case of minors: This does not, however, mean that child prostitution is legal in California. It is still illegal for Californians to hire prostitutes (child or otherwise), sex traffickers will still face consequences if they are caught prostituting children in California, and Californians who engage in sexual activities with persons under the age of consent are still subject to being charged with statutory rape (among other crimes). The new law means only that children involved in sex trafficking and prostitution will be treated as victims instead of criminals: Child prostitution is illegal in the state of California, as well as in the rest of the United States. The California law is in line with the stance of the Department of Justice, which has also noted that children involved in prostitution should be considered victims: Some law enforcement official have expressed wariness of the new law, arguing that it gives them fewer tools to stop child sex trafficking. However, it represents a shift away from prosecuting underaged victims for their involvement in prostitution, which can end up on their record for life.
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