§ 1591. — Sex trafficking of children or by force, fraud, or coercion.
[Laws in effect as of January 24, 2002]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
January 24, 2002 and December 19, 2002]
[CITE: 18USC1591]
TITLE 18--CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE
PART I--CRIMES
CHAPTER 77--PEONAGE AND SLAVERY
Sec. 1591. Sex trafficking of children or by force, fraud \1\ or
coercion
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\1\ So in original. Probably should be followed by a comma.
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(a) Whoever knowingly--
(1) in or affecting interstate commerce, recruits, entices,
harbors, transports, provides, or obtains by any means a person; or
(2) benefits, financially or by receiving anything of value,
from participation in a venture which has engaged in an act
described in violation of paragraph (1),
knowing that force, fraud, or coercion described in subsection (c)(2)
will be used to cause the person to engage in a commercial sex act, or
that the person has not attained the age of 18 years and will be caused
to engage in a commercial sex act, shall be punished as provided in
subsection (b).
(b) The punishment for an offense under subsection (a) is--
(1) if the offense was effected by force, fraud, or coercion or
if the person transported had not attained the age of 14 years at
the time of such offense, by a fine under this title or imprisonment
for any term of years or for life, or both; or
(2) if the offense was not so effected, and the person
transported had attained the age of 14 years but had not attained
the age of 18 years at the time of such offense, by a fine under
this title or imprisonment for not more than 20 years, or both.
(c) In this section:
(1) The term ``commercial sex act'' means any sex act, on
account of which anything of value is given to or received by any
person.
(2) The term ``coercion'' means--
(A) threats of serious harm to or physical restraint against
any person;
(B) any scheme, plan, or pattern intended to cause a person
to believe that failure to perform an act would result in
serious harm to or physical restraint against any person; or
(C) the abuse or threatened abuse of law or the legal
process.
(3) The term ``venture'' means any group of two or more
individuals associated in fact, whether or not a legal entity.
(Added Pub. L. 106-386, div. A, Sec. 112(a)(2), Oct. 28, 2000, 114 Stat.
1487.)
Section Referred to in Other Sections
This section is referred to in sections 1592, 1594 of this title.
