Florida raises the minimum age to work as a stripper to 21

In a significant movement to combat human trafficking, the Florida legislature passed a law that increases the minimum age to work as strippers at 21 years.

The measure was approved with great support in both legislative chambers on March 8 and is part of a broader effort that also includes updates to the support organization for the State Council against Human Trafficking.

Approved by Senate by a margin of 35 to 3, the age restriction for strippers It was voted favorably last Friday by the House of Representatives, by a margin of 104 votes in favor and three against.

Presented by the representative Carolina Amesty (R), House Bill 1379 seeks to combat human trafficking and modern slavery, and potential offenders face second-degree felony charges, punishable by up to 15 years in prison.

The law was proposed as part of a larger project to combat trafficking and sparked divided opinions. The Republican representative David Borrero supported the measure, citing clubs striptease as sources of exploitation and trafficking. On the other hand, the Democrat Michele Rayner expressed concerns about the law's new language.

Club owners striptease Those who employ minors under the age of 21 will face serious criminal charges under this new legislation. According to InfobaeDespite its approval, there are doubts regarding the effectiveness of the law in practical terms, with some questioning whether it will have a real impact beyond its symbolic value in the fight against exploitation.

The draft law on the minimum age for strippers now waiting for the governor's signature Ron DeSantis for its implementation, scheduled for next July.

In mid-July 2023, three cubans They were convicted of smuggling into the United States women from Cuba and make them work in clubs striptease from the Houston, Texas area.

The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) reported in a statement that Rasiel Gutiérrez Moreno (38 years), Hendry Jiménez Milanés (39) and Rafael Mendoza Labrada (29), were sentenced to 210, 120 and 34 months in federal prison, respectively.

"These human traffickers terrorized migrant women, using sex clubs striptease of Houston combined with psychological threats and sexual violence for personal financial gain," stated U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

The judge ordered Moreno to pay $451,298 in restitution to the victims, and Milanés will have to pay $359,108, the statement explains.

"The victims came to the United States in search of a new life, were especially vulnerable, and the defendants took advantage of that. The sentences imposed today send a strong message that the Southern District of Texas will not tolerate those who traffic, threaten and abuse of the vulnerability of the victims," said Hamdani.