Tiffany Simpson is a human trafficking survivor. Unfortunately, instead of rebuilding her life, Tiffany sits in a Georgia prison wrongly convicted of trafficking another juvenile. Tragically, Tiffany’s story is not unique. Being beaten, threatened, stabbed, provided drugs, forced by a trafficker to recruit other girls into a trafficking ring and becoming pregnant by a trafficker are all common tools of coercion used in this heinous crime. Tiffany experienced all these things when she was only 17 and her trafficker was 34. I repeatedly saw these methods of abuse and control during my 15 years of prosecuting human traffickers. While serving as our nation’s ambassador-at-large to combat human trafficking, I advocated for criminal justice relief for trafficking survivors.

Tiffany was prosecuted by the South Georgia District Attorney’s Office rather than being treated as a trafficking victim herself. She was charged with numerous offenses, all related to trafficking another juvenile, something she was forced to do. The prosecution of trafficking victims should not happen but, historically, has happened as victims under the control of their trafficker are often unable to speak up or help themselves, bound by the same fear and control inherent in their victimization that also compelled them to commit a crime. Because of the trauma she had suffered and the fear she had of her trafficker, Tiffany did not recognize herself as a crime victim and pleaded guilty to two charges. Tiffany was sentenced to 30 years with 20 to serve. Tiffany has served nine years of that sentence. Legally, Tiffany could not form the intent, known as the mens rea, to commit the crime of trafficking another, as she was compelled to do so out of fear for her own safety and that of her grandmother. Morally, Tiffany should be receiving services to aid in her recovery, not be punished for the human trafficker’s crime against her and the other victim. 

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