Migrant sex work
Because of their illegal and vulnerable economic status, some migrant sex workers may find themselves in situations where coercion and forced sex work may be present. Under international legal definitions of human trafficking, forced and coercive forms of sex work are considered to be instances of involuntary sex trafficking. However, many scholars caution against categorizing sex workers as either completely voluntary or completely involuntary. They often argue that sex work, like other forms of labor, can span a spectrum between the two extremes, with most circumstances falling in the middle through various labor rights violations. Nevertheless, the vulnerability of migrant sex workers can make them susceptible to exploitative or coercive labor practices that can resemble or be human trafficking.
Human trafficking in California
If a person is convicted of obtaining forced labor through human trafficking, he/she faces either five, eight, your twelve years in prison, plus a fine of up to $500,000. If one is found to be committing human trafficking crimes connected to commercial sex trafficking, sexual extortion, or child pornography, he/she faces either eight, fourteen, or twenty years in state prison, a fine of up to $500,000, and the legally mandated responsibility to register as a sex offender. If a person coerces a minor under the age of 18 to engage in commercial sex acts, the persuading actor can receive five to twelve years in prison or a prison sentence of fifteen years to life if the relevant jury determines that he/she used "force, fear, violence, or threat of injury to the alleged victim"; a $500,000 fine; and the requirement to register as a sex offender.