The partisan disinformation machine is working overtime in Santa Clarita, spewing confusion and inaccuracies about our assemblywoman and her position on an issue personal and important to her: protecting victims and creating more accountability for predators.
Let’s be clear: It’s all extreme-right deception – and, at the end of the day, these lies and confusion make our community less safe.
Consider the latest Sacramento public-safety debate that sparked the attacks against Pilar Schiavo last week: How to protect our older teenagers from heinous child predators.
As a mom, educator and active member of this community who cares deeply about the safety of our kids, it’s important for everyone to be crystal clear on a few key facts about California’s extremely tough laws that protect our young people and put predators behind bars:
• Soliciting a victim of sex trafficking is a felony.
• Contacting a minor with intent to commit a sexual offense is a felony.
• Paying for and engaging in sex with a minor is a felony.
• “Sexting” with a minor is a felony.
• Soliciting a minor is a crime in California. Every time.
Based on the attacks and disinformation, one might conclude such felonies — and more — are not currently law. But they are already. Now, with those key facts front-and-center, let’s dive in to the policy discussion of the moment.
Last week, Democrats and Republicans voted together to unanimously pass a new bill that will lock up all predators that target teens, specifically older, 16- and 17-year-older teenagers. Lost in the conversation of partisan and inaccurate attacks is the reality of the policy that passed, which will deliver the full force of the law to prosecutors statewide, providing strengthened protections and new tools to lock up adult predators and protect our kids.
Here’s how it would work: Assembly Bill 379 reinforces California law significantly, making sure prosecutors can bring felony charges against an adult predator who solicits sex from a teen. This new policy is tougher than existing laws, and it means our children will always be protected.
AB 379 does many other smart things, too. It builds on prosecutorial tools to go after predators, and builds on enforcement in a way that will help fund programs and support survivors.
This bill is the right approach if we want to keep our kids and teens safe from predators. I am certain the community I love can all agree this is the outcome we want. And I am deeply disappointed and ashamed that an extreme minority took this opportunity to launch partisan attacks at our assemblywoman, who was doing her job to protect us. Next time, I hope they do their homework and put our community’s safety above their partisan attacks.
Kathleen Walker
Valencia
