Legal Definitions - White Slave Traffic Act

The White Slave Traffic Act is the original name for a federal law more commonly known today as the Mann Act. Enacted in 1910, this law makes it a federal crime to transport any person across state lines or national borders for "immoral purposes."

While the original intent and name reflected societal concerns at the time about forced prostitution and what was then termed "white slavery," the law has been interpreted much more broadly over the decades. Today, it is primarily used to prosecute cases involving human trafficking, sexual exploitation, and other forms of forced labor or sexual servitude, regardless of the victim's gender or race. The phrase "immoral purposes" has been interpreted by courts to encompass a wide range of exploitative activities.

• Example 1: Interstate Prostitution Ring

  A criminal organization operates a prostitution ring in Nevada. They recruit individuals, often through deception or coercion, and then transport them by car across state lines to California to work in brothels or illicit massage parlors. The intent behind this interstate transportation is to engage these individuals in prostitution.

  This scenario illustrates the Mann Act because it involves the movement of individuals across state lines with the specific intent that they engage in prostitution, which is considered an "immoral purpose" under the law. The deceptive or coercive nature of the recruitment further highlights the exploitative conduct the act aims to prevent.

• Example 2: Online Grooming and Exploitation of a Minor

  An adult living in Florida uses online platforms to groom a 15-year-old girl residing in Georgia. After building trust, the adult convinces the minor to take a bus from Georgia to Florida, with the adult's clear intent to sexually exploit her upon arrival.

  This situation falls under the Mann Act because it involves the interstate transportation (from Georgia to Florida) of a minor for the purpose of sexual exploitation. Even if the minor initially agrees to travel, the adult's intent to engage in "immoral purposes" (sexual exploitation of a minor) triggers the federal law.

• Example 3: Forced Labor Trafficking

  A group promises several migrant workers in Arizona legitimate agricultural jobs in Oregon. They arrange and pay for the workers' transportation across state lines. However, once in Oregon, the workers are held in deplorable conditions, their documents are confiscated, and they are forced to work long hours for little to no pay under threat and intimidation, effectively becoming indentured servants.

  While the Mann Act historically focused on sexual exploitation, its "immoral purposes" clause has been applied to other forms of forced labor. In this example, the interstate transportation of individuals with the intent to subject them to involuntary servitude and exploitation in Oregon would constitute a violation of the Mann Act, demonstrating its broader application to human trafficking for various forms of forced labor.