State needs to protect, not punish, human trafficking survivors, legislative panel told

By: Michael Lyle

Outlets: Nevada Current

Published: March 13, 2026

Words: 1,083

Last Updated: 1 week, 1 day ago

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Katheryn Hickman, a public defender with the Washoe County Public Defender’s Office, recalled just a few years ago representing two teenagers forced into sex trafficking who faced an uphill battle in courts and faced prosecution for crimes related to coercion.

The story of her two clients is emblematic of the issues survivors of sex trafficking caught up in the criminal legal system in Nevada often face, she told state lawmakers on Tuesday.

Both girls, …

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