BLOG: COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT PROPOSITION 133
Written by Grace Marionneaux, CCASA Policy Intern
Common misconceptions about Prop. 133 and what it means for survivors of child sex trafficking.
Would Prop. 133 (Require Life in Prison for Human Trafficking of Minors Measure) help victims of child sex trafficking?
Prop. 133 does not prevent trafficking or help vicims. Prop. 133 is a ballot measure that was created by the conservative dark-money group Protect Kids Colorado without consulting any prosecutors or human trafficking experts. The proposition claims to stop child sex trafficking by making it a class 1 felony, a class in which all offenses are punishable by life without parole, without any protection from prosecution for victims. The ballot language also expands the definition of child sex trafficking to include the exchange of anything of value for sexual activity with a minor, so buyers, sellers, and anyone else involved would face life in prison.
Sex trafficking victims are already unlikely to seek help or report, and Prop. 133 will exacerbate these issues. Due to the increased severity of penalties, victims who were forced by their traffickers to recruit other victims will be less likely to seek help due to fear of being charged themselves. Additionally, Prop. 133 makes no effort to support survivors and contains no provisions for anti-trafficking education, investigations, or prevention. For these reasons, Prop. 133 will not help victims but instead will intimidate them from seeking help and put them in prison for life for acts they were forced into by their traffickers.
Why doesn’t Colorado have strong laws in place to prosecute traffickers and hold them accountable?
In Colorado, sex trafficking is treated as a serious crime and is currently a Class 2 felony with penalties ranging from 8 to 48 years, per offense. Colorado legislators have even increased criminal penalties for human trafficking in the last few years. From 2023-2025, human trafficking sentences averaged over 25 years, with some traffickers being sentenced to more than 400 years. Colorado has some of the longest trafficking-related sentences in the country. The state already takes human trafficking offenses very seriously and consistently prosecutes and convicts traffickers.
Source: LCHT
How do people become victims of human trafficking?
While movies and social media may show people being abducted and trafficked by a stranger, the majority of trafficking victims know their trafficker(s). Stranger abduction is rare in human trafficking situations. Up to 50% of human trafficking victims are trafficked by their own family member, and many victims are trafficked by a romantic partner. This means that many trafficking victims already trust and are dependent on their trafficker, which makes them particularly vulnerable to being exploited and hesitant to seek help.
Source: Exodus Road
How do traffickers use coercion to keep victims under their control?
Victims of human trafficking are largely from vulnerable populations, including children and youth who have been involved in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems. Many times, these children have experienced extensive trauma, which traffickers use to target and groom them to build trust, create dependency, and gain control. Over time, many victims are forced to commit criminal acts by their traffickers, including posting ads, recruiting new victims (who are often peers), and facilitating encounters. When a trafficker forces a victim to commit a crime, this is known as forced criminality, and it gives traffickers even more power over their victims. Many victims, especially youth, do not initially understand these actions as a crime. Once they do, traffickers frequently use violence or threaten to report them to law enforcement to maintain power and control.
Source: Joint No on Prop 133 Fact Sheet
Are victims really prosecuted for forced criminality?
Yes, CCASA has directly connected with survivors in Colorado who have been prosecuted for these crimes, and they have told CCASA that Prop. 133 would put them at risk instead of helping them. In our criminal legal system, victims can be misidentified as perpetrators due to this forced criminality, where they are forced or coerced into helping their traffickers. Once a victim is charged, they are no longer eligible for victim-specific legal services—leaving them with little legal recourse or defense. Prop. 133’s mandatory sentence of life without parole for child sex trafficking would unfairly punish these victims for things their trafficker forced or coerced them to do, regardless of how old they were when they were first trafficked.
Should I vote NO on Prop. 133?
Absolutely. Prop. 133 will criminalize sex trafficking survivors and will not reduce human trafficking in Colorado. Survivors are depending on your vote to protect them from unfair prosecution for forced criminality. Stand up for survivors and vote NO on Prop. 133 on Election Day!