In December 2020, Canadian fashion mogul, Peter Nygard, was indicted in the U.S. on nine separate counts of sex trafficking, racketeering, and related crimes after dozens of women came forward accusing him of using his business to lure them for his own sexual gratification. He is also currently facing charges in Canada, and even though many of the alleged assaults occurred at his estate in the Bahamas, Nygard has yet to face charges there. It was almost a year after the first accusations were made that he was ultimately arrested. Title 18 of the U.S. Code explicitly provides extraterritorial jurisdiction (the legal authority of the U.S. to prosecute criminal conduct that took place outside its borders) over certain sex offenses involving the sexual exploitation of children, including sex trafficking. However, numerous basic sex offenses lack the same jurisdiction that allow traffickers and other sexual predators to escape criminal charges if prosecutors are unable to establish the demanding evidentiary basis for more multifaceted crimes like trafficking. Expanding these crimes extraterritorially would allow federal prosecutors to confer charges related to crimes of sexual abuse and assault, regardless of the victims’ age and where the crime occurred. Granting extraterritorial jurisdiction and including crimes against all victims of sexual abuse will be a crucial step in ensuring all predators are brought to justice.
Trigger Warning: This presentation contains information (written, spoken, or visual) that may be triggering or (re)traumatizing to attendees.
Professor Marci Hamilton is the Founder and CEO of CHILD USA, the leading national think tank fighting for the civil rights of children. CHILD USA’s mission is to employ in-depth legal analysis and cutting-edge social science research to protect children, prevent future abuse and neglect, and bring justice to survivors.
Kai Zen Bickle played a critical role in the investigation of his father, an accused super-predator of great financial means and power. Kai discovered loopholes within the justice system and works with CHILD USA on reforms to correct these loopholes that enabled his father to hide his behavior for decades.