On Wednesday, the Arizona House passed a bill, HB2696, which specifies mandatory sentencing guidelines for a person convicted of a dangerous crime against children in the first degree involving continuous sexual abuse of a child. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Leo Biasiucci, passed on a bipartisan 55-4-1 vote.
“Human smuggling is at an all time high on our southern border,” Rep. Biasiucci told the Arizona Daily Independent. “These smugglers are directly responsible for the surge of illegal immigrants coming into our country. I look forward to putting these smugglers behind bars for a very long time.”
HB2696 designates a person convicted of certain crimes as not eligible for suspension of sentence, probation or any form of release, unless specifically authorized by statute, until the sentence imposed by the court has been served or commuted.
The crimes enumerated are:
a) Continuous sexual abuse of a child;
b) Knowingly trafficking another person for forced labor or services;
c) Sexual extortion;
d) Causing a spouse to become a prostitute;
e) Knowingly detaining a person in a house of prostitution because of debt;
f) Luring a minor for sexual exploitation;
g) Aggravated luring of a minor for sexual exploitation; and
h) Unlawful sale or purchase of children
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