A new bill this legislative session seeks to amend penalties for sex trafficking in Hawaii, proposing fines ranging from $50,000 to $100,000 and a prison term of up to 20 years without the possibility for parole, suspended sentences or probation.
Current Hawaii law classifies sex trafficking as a class A felony, punishable by a prison sentence of up to 20 years and a fine of up to $50,000, with parole an option after a minimum sentence set by the Hawaii Paroling Authority.
Senate Bill 193 also includes provisions addressing minors involved in trafficking, allowing law enforcement to take minors into custody without a judge’s order if there are reasonable grounds to believe they have violated trafficking-related laws.
Minors taken into custody would then be subject to Family Court jurisdiction for custody, detention, diversion and access to services and resources.
While the state Department of the Attorney General recently launched its Human Trafficking Prevention Program webpage featuring data from 2021, the National Human Trafficking Hotline reported receiving 110 “signals” from Hawaii in 2023.
The signals included 34 from victims or survivors of trafficking, with the majority — 64 signals — coming through hotline calls, followed by text messages, online reports and web chats.
The National Human Trafficking Hotline identified 29 cases involving 49 victims in Hawaii last year, as a single case can involve multiple victims.
Of those cases, 17 were related to sex trafficking, six involved both sex and labor trafficking, and three were related solely to labor trafficking.
Residence-based commercial sex accounted for five cases of sex trafficking, while illicit massage or spa businesses were identified in three cases. Insufficient data was available to determine the venues for labor trafficking.
Demographic data collected by the hotline, when available, showed that the 49 victims included 19 adults and 12 minors. Twenty-two were female and five were male.
However, the hotline made clear that the data provided should not be interpreted as an indicator of the prevalence of trafficking in Hawaii. The data reflects only reported cases and the callers who are aware of the service and seek assistance.
As human trafficking is often a hidden crime, no single source can accurately determine its full scope.
The hotline also features an online referral directory that includes antitrafficking organizations and programs that provide emergency, transitional or long-term services to victims and survivors of human trafficking, as well as resources and opportunities in the antitrafficking field.
Although not an exhaustive list, some organizations offering services to both sex and labor trafficking victims and survivors include the Hawaii Immigrant Justice Center at the Legal Aid Society of Hawaii on Oahu and Ho‘ola Na Pua, which operates on both Oahu and in Hilo on Hawaii island.
