For survivors of child sex trafficking, justice often extends beyond a criminal conviction.
A recent investigation by Dallas Morning News found that while federal and state law requires restitution for survivors of child sex trafficking, victims in North Texas rarely receive compensation from their traffickers. However, some offices, like the Southern District of Indiana, routinely pursue restitution orders, helping survivors recover financially while holding offenders accountable.
McCarter partner and former US Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana Zachary Myers spoke with Dallas Morning News on the critical role restitution can play in helping survivors rebuild their lives.
Zach noted that seeking restitution for child sex trafficking victims “was the practice” in the office and prosecutors “were more attuned to it.”
His office had a culture, Zach said, in which supervisors checked to make sure restitution was always included in a case’s court filings. Judges granted the orders when they were sought, he said.