Brief of Amici Curiae Ascentria Care Alliance, Coalition Against Trafficking in Women, Children’s Advocacy Center of Suffolk County, Demand Abolition, EVA Center, and My Life My Choice in Support of Plaintiff-Appellee on the Constitutionality of An Act Relative to the Commercial Exploitation of People, Commonwealth of Massachusetts v. Tyshaun McGhee, et al.

The victims\u27 story here is a heartbreaking one, and sadly, all too familiar. Too often, victims are targeted, advertised online, and transported for purposes of prostitution while subjected to poor conditions, coercion, and often physical violence. Recognizing that human trafficking is a pervasive and troubling epidemic, Congress and state legislatures around the country have taken actions to criminalize trafficking, punish its offenders, and provide necessary services for trafficking victims. In 2011, Massachusetts enacted An Act Relative to the Commercial Exploitation of People ( Massachusetts Anti-Trafficking Statute ) to address the problem of trafficking in the Commonwealth. Among other key provisions, the Massachusetts Anti-Trafficking Statute makes it a felony to traffic persons for sexual servitude. G.L. c. 265, § 50