Sexual Assault

OAKLAND – California Attorney General Rob Bonta today highlighted the California Department of Justice’s (DOJ) efforts to protect and defend the people and resources of California over the past year. In 2023, DOJ worked to improve the lives of Californians by protecting public health and safety and advancing justice for all by enforcing and defending laws touching nearly all facets of life, including healthcare, the environment, housing, consumer protection, civil rights, and criminal justice.

“At the California Department of Justice, 2023 was a year of accountability: We took bold action to hold polluters, corporate giants, and bad actors accountable, and worked every day to build stronger, safer communities while working proactively to find solutions to some of the largest problems facing Californians, from gun violence to threats to our health and safety,” said Attorney General Bonta. “I’m proud of the nearly 6,000 DOJ employees who work day in and day out on behalf of the people of California, and all that we have accomplished together. As we look ahead to 2024, we will continue to advance Californians' fundamental rights, work toward environmental and economic justice, hold bad actors accountable, and beyond.” 

KEY ACTIONS 

FENTANYL CRACKDOWN: Joined the FAST task force to address fentanyl trafficking from the U.S. and Mexico border and continued ongoing efforts to remove fentanyl from our streets, through arrests and seizures 

COMBATTING RETAIL CRIME: Announced a first-of-its-kind agreement between retailers and online marketplaces to address retail crime, and continued ongoing efforts to dismantle retail theft rings

TACKLING THE HOUSING CRISIS: Made way for the development of thousands of potential additional units of housing by putting local governments on notice for violating state housing laws 

TAKING ON BIG TECH: Filed a lawsuit against Meta to protect youth online

FIGHTING GUN VIOLENCE: Unveiled the Office of Gun Violence Prevention’s first-ever data report highlighting California’s successes in preventing gun violence, and shining light further areas for improvement

DEFENDING REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS: Announced a groundbreaking lawsuit against a national anti-abortion group and a chain of five crisis pregnancy centers for using misleading claims to lure in and deceive pregnant people  

CLIMATE ACTION: Filed a groundbreaking lawsuit against Big Oil for engaging in a decades-long campaign of deception about the climate harms of their products

PROTECTING CONSUMERS: Sponsored successful legislation to protect Californians’ pocketbooks by banning hidden fees

SAFEGUARDING PUBLIC HEALTH: Secured $462 million settlement with JUUL for fueling the youth tobacco crisis

Fighting Crime and Supporting Victims and Survivors: Attorney General Bonta worked together with local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to protect California’s public safety by cracking down on theft and illegal narcotics, dismantling organized criminal activity, and holding bad actors accountable. The Attorney General announced major law enforcement operations across the state, from tackling human trafficking in San Mateo County and San Diego, to dismantling criminal organizations in Los Angeles, Stockton, and Fresno. The Attorney General also stepped-up efforts to target sexual predators while protecting victims and survivors in their right to restitution and to see their traffickers held accountable.

A key focus of 2023 was addressing organized retail crime by bringing charges against an organized smash and grab group, charging a group responsible for cargo thefts targeting Microsoft products, and making arrests of an organized retail crime group targeting Apple Stores. Attorney General Bonta went a step further this year by announcing a first-of-its-kind agreement between retailers and online marketplaces to address retail crime.

Attorney General Bonta made combatting the fentanyl crisis a top priority. Since April 2022, the California DOJ has seized approximately 10,834,302 fentanyl pills, 2,951 pounds of powder, and made over 280 arrests related to fentanyl. In addition, DOJ joined the Fentanyl Abatement and Suppression Team (FAST)  to address fentanyl trafficking from the U.S. and Mexico border and the San Francisco task force to address fentanyl trafficking in the Bay Area. The Attorney General provided critical support to Placer County, Fresno and Merced County through the Bureau of Investigation to arrest and apprehend fentanyl dealers and seize fentanyl from communities.  

In 2023, California Attorney General Bonta released the 2022 Hate Crime in California Report, and amid an alarming rise in hate crimes highlighted resources to combat hate, as well as a new law enforcement bulletin to assist law enforcement in combatting hate crimes. The Attorney General continued to engage with local leaders through hate crime roundtables in Bakersfield, Fresno, Anaheim and Irvine. 

Attorney General Bonta sent a strong message that those who commit fraud will be caught and pay for their crime. Numerous charges were brought against individuals for embezzlement, tax evasion, and recycling fraud. The Attorney General announced the establishment of the first-ever Post-Conviction Justice Unit, addressed illegal cannabis and promoted the awareness of the missing and murdered indigenous peoples’ crisis.

Tackling California's Housing Crisis: As California continued to face a housing shortage and affordability crisis of epic proportions, Attorney General Bonta’s Housing Justice Team ramped up its enforcement of state housing production, consumer protection, and housing discrimination laws, putting local governments from Huntington Beach and Coronado, to San Bernardino and Elk Grove on notice for violations of state housing laws. The Attorney General also worked to enforce obligations under state law, like the Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA), requiring local governments to plan and zone for more housing. 

As housing costs continue to overly burden household budgets, Attorney General Bonta fought to protect tenants’ and homeowners’ rights and prevent housing discrimination. Attorney General Bonta reminded California tenants of their rights and protections under state law, including limits on rent increases, announced statewide guidance to address Crime-Free Housing policies that disproportionally discriminate against people of color, survivors of domestic violence, people with disabilities, and justice-involved individuals, and brought financial relief to tenants who endured illegal rent increases and  evictions by enforcing the Tenant Protection Act against Green Valley Corporation. 

Protecting Reproductive Freedom and the Public Health: This year, Attorney General Bonta continued to fiercely defend and protect the reproductive freedom and liberties of Californians and people across the nation. In September, he sued a national anti-abortion group and a chain of five crisis pregnancy centers for using false claims to lure in pregnant patients and mislead them. He announced the results of investigations into anti-implicit bias training for pregnancy care providers, and into reproductive healthcare access in county jails. Emboldened by the overturning of Roe v. Wade, anti-abortion states focused their onslaught on the FDA's decades-old approval of mifepristone, widely used for medication abortion. From joining forces with states across the nation on briefs in the Fifth Circuit appeals court and the U.S. Supreme Court, to publicly countering the lies and empty rhetoric of anti-mifepristone forces and reminding Californians of the laws that protect their access to medication abortion and other reproductive care, Attorney General Bonta fought the partisan attacks on mifepristone aggressively on every front and with every tool at his disposal. He also led nationwide fights to push for increased access to birth control coverage, protect Americans’ access to abortions during life-threatening medical emergencies, and support stronger protections for reproductive health data privacy.

Attorney General Bonta fought for Californians’ rights to affordable, equitable healthcare and protected Californians against threats to the public health. He sued the nation's largest insulin makers and pharmacy benefit managers for driving up the cost of the lifesaving drug by leveraging their market power to unlawfully overcharge patients, and as Californians grappled with the ongoing fallout from the opioid epidemic, secured billions of dollars in nationwide settlements with pharmacies CVS and Walgreens and manufacturers Allergan and Teva for their role in the opioid crisis. The settlements are expected to bring in much needed funding to address the needs of California's communities. He also worked to protect the public – particularly youth and vulnerable populations – from harmful and addictive tobacco products by taking legal action against two California online retailers of e-cigarettes over violations of state and federal laws, and by securing a $462 million multistate settlement agreement with electronic cigarette maker, JUUL, Labs, Inc. that prohibits the company from targeting youth in its advertising and promotion.

Taking on Corporate Polluters and Protecting the Environment: In 2023, the Attorney General took on corporate polluters and fought to protect the health and safety of California communities through innovative settlements and major lawsuits. In September, Attorney General Bonta filed a landmark lawsuit against five of the largest oil and gas companies and a trade association for engaging in a decades-long campaign of deception about the climate harms of their products. He announced a settlement with Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas) over misleading, unqualified environmental marketing claims the company made that natural gas is “renewable,” and reached settlements with Kaiser for improper hazardous waste disposal, as well as with several owners and operators of gas stations for violating state environmental laws. 

He continued his ongoing work to combat the harmful effects of PFAS, calling for 3M and Dupont to pay more for contaminating Americans’ drinking water supply with these toxic forever chemicals, and issuing an enforcement advisory letter to manufacturers, distributors, and sellers of food packaging and cookware, reminding them of their obligations under Assembly Bill 1200, which restricts the presence of PFAS in food packaging and imposes labeling disclosure requirements for cookware, as well as a consumer alert with tips for reducing PFAS exposures.

Recognizing that certain communities endure a disproportionate share of environmental pollution, Attorney General Bonta’s Bureau of Environmental Justice sent CEQA letters, reached innovative settlements, and issued guidance to address historic and ongoing inequities in land use decisions and beyond. In September, he announced a settlement with the Port of Oakland and Eagle Rock Aggregates, securing binding commitments to mitigate the Eagle Rock project’s air quality impacts and provide other benefits for West Oakland residents,  raised serious legal concerns about the environmental and housing impacts of a proposed warehouse development plan in the Inland Valley, and secured settlements that reduce wildfire ignition and evacuation risks and conserve sensitive ecosystems. He also issued guidance to local governments on promoting environmental justice for marginalized communities across California. 

Addressing Gun Violence: Attorney General Bonta continued his leadership with a strong, statewide effort to put an end to gun violence. He took action to provide crucial data necessary to continue our fight against gun violence by securing a court decision enabling vital data sharing with gun violence researchers, and releasing two inaugural reports out of the Office of Gun Violence Prevention. The first report focused on gun violence in California highlighted California’s successes in preventing gun violence and shined a light on successful strategies and further areas for improvement. The second report focused on domestic violence and showed that California has made substantial long-term progress in reducing the incidence of domestic violence involving firearms but it increased during the pandemic. It emphasized the importance of Domestic Violence Restraining Orders for survivors’ safety and gun violence prevention. 

The Attorney General worked on the ground to keep firearms out of the hands of dangerous individuals, and announced the 2022 APPS report. He supported stronger federal firearm laws and announced the seizure of illegal weapons in Visalia and Los Angeles. Attorney General Bonta also fought to defend California’s gun laws by supporting the large capacity magazine ban, the assault weapons ban, age-based firearm restrictions, the Unsafe Handgun Act, and urging the Supreme Court to uphold protections for survivors of abuse against gun violence. Attorney General Bonta's sponsored legislation, Senate Bill 2, which strengthens California’s concealed carry weapons restrictions was signed into law.

Safeguarding the Civil Rights of All: Throughout the year, Attorney General Bonta worked tirelessly to protect the civil rights of people in California and across the country. Amidst unprecedented attacks on the LGBTQ+ community across the nation, Attorney General Bonta stood up for the rights of LGBTQ+ people to live, work, and pursue education free from discrimination: from fighting forced outing policies in Chino Valley and across the state to challenging bans on inclusive curricula and textbooks in classrooms. Outside of California, the Attorney General stood up against Idaho legislation undermining transgender students’ constitutional rights, and joined multiple amicus briefs in support of gender-affirming care for transgender youth.

The Attorney General worked to the safeguard Californians’ civil rights through stipulated judgements with Kern County addressing free-speech violations, and to reform the Vallejo Police Department’s policies and practices; opened civil rights investigations into the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office and Antioch Police Department; and through the Racial Justice Bureau, supported the work of the Reparations Task Force in issuing its historic final report on the harms of slavery and systemic discrimination of African Americans. He took action to protect workers, launching an historic investigation into gender discrimination in the National Football League, fought for the rights of transportation workers, and immigrant children. He also took action to uphold voter rights by opening an investigation into Butte County’s redistricting process, and standing up in court for disenfranchised persons.

Protecting Consumers, Preserving Competition and Taking on Bad Corporate Actors: In 2023, Attorney General Bonta fought to protect consumers and build a more fair and competitive economy. The Attorney General aggressively enforced state and federal antitrust laws, joining US DOJ in a lawsuit to challenge the anticompetitive merger of Spirit and JetBlue, continuing his prosecution of Amazon for blocking price competition, and joining a lawsuit against Agri Stats for facilitating meat processors’ unlawful increase on the prices Californians pay for chicken, pork, and turkey.

In this digital age, Attorney General Bonta worked aggressively to protect youth and California families online. He co-led a bipartisan coalition of 33 attorneys general in filing a lawsuit against Meta for designing and deploying harmful features on Instagram and Facebook that addict children and teens to their mental and physical detriment, and later celebrated the release of a damning unredacted complaint in that case. He also continued his defense of California’s Age-Appropriate Design Code Act, a California law requiring companies to prioritize the online privacy, safety, and well-being of children over commercial interests, and filed an amicus brief in the U.S. Supreme Court defending the right of government entities to engage with social media companies to protect the public. 

Attorney General Bonta also secured settlements and sponsored legislation to protect hardworking California families and their pocketbooks. In 2023, he sponsored successful legislation to ban hidden fees as well as legislation to compensate victims of consumer protection violations. He announced a $93 million settlement against Google regarding its location-privacy practices, and a $700 million settlement with Google for monopolizing Android App Distribution.   

Protecting California’s Elders and Medi-Cal Program: In 2023, Attorney General Bonta worked to protect the safety and well-being of California's elder and dependent adults by bringing legal action against bad actors who committed neglect, abuse and fraud against them. He issued a consumer alert, as well as new guidance for mandated reporters who play a critical role in safeguarding this vulnerable population. Attorney General Bonta also protected the integrity of the state's Medi-Cal program by carrying out investigations, arrests, and prosecutions against medical providers who illegally defrauded Medi-Cal. In August, he announced the arrest of a Santa Clara County doctor for an alleged illegal prescription scheme and secured the sentencing of a Southern California doctor for prescribing medically unnecessary medications. He also secured an over $215 million settlement against a national healthcare company for allegedly falsely reporting higher prescription drug costs; secured a nearly $11.4 million settlement with the owner of one of California’s largest chains of pain management clinics; and announced a $3.8 million settlement against a Riverside nursing facility accused of paying illegal kickbacks to doctors.

These ongoing efforts are made possible not only by partners at the federal, state, and local level, but by the hard work and dedication of the thousands of people employed at DOJ. They include lawyers, special agents, researchers, information technology technicians, program analysts, legal secretaries, field representatives, scientists, and more. Additional information about the work done at the California Department of Justice is available here. More information on career opportunities is available here.

OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta today announced that applications are now being accepted for the Sexual Assault Evidence Submission Grant Program. This program is administered by the California Department of Justice (DOJ) and provides funding to assist local law enforcement agencies in submitting and DNA testing of sexual assault evidence. The Budget Act of 2021 appropriated $4 million in grant funding to assist law enforcement agencies statewide.

“This grant is a step forward in our fight against sexual assault in California,” said Attorney General Rob Bonta. “It supports and honors the courageous individuals who come forward about their experiences of sexual assault and go through the necessary steps to provide evidence. I am grateful for the valuable contributions of our partners across the state in this critical battle. Funds from the Sexual Assault Evidence Submission Grant will assist them in protecting the vulnerable and bringing perpetrators to justice.”

Interested law enforcement agencies are encouraged to learn more about the grant program, the eligibility criteria, and the Request for Applications (RFA) process. This RFA is a non-competitive application process that is reimbursing eligible agencies for costs incurred during the submission and testing process. Grant funds are not designed to sustain a project but are intended to supplement existing funds to help agencies submit and test sexual assault evidence.

Eligible agencies must submit a completed application to DOJ by February 5, 2024. All grant applications must be emailed to SAESG@doj.ca.gov by 5:00 PM (PDT). No late applications will be accepted. 

A complete application package includes the following:

• Application Cover Sheet (Word Document)
• Letter of Intent (Word Document)
• Project Budget (Excel)

A copy of the RFA is available for download here.  

Agencies who are interested in applying for funds should request amounts based on their need. The grant period for the use of these funds will begin on or around March 1, 2024 and will end March 1, 2027. Questions concerning the application process may be directed to the DOJ at SAESG@doj.ca.gov. See Sexual Assault Evidence Submission Grant Program website for more information.

FRESNO — California Attorney General Rob Bonta today announced the arrests of 19 suspects as part of a three-day multiagency operation that targeted child predators. Operation “White Elephant” targeted adults seeking to sexually exploit children and victims of sex trafficking, using undercover agents and detectives posing as minors offering sex for pay on applications and websites commonly used by predators.

“In California, we do not tolerate the sexual exploitation and human trafficking of children,” said Attorney General Rob Bonta. “To combat this modern-day form of slavery, I established the Human Trafficking and Sexual Predator Apprehension Team within the Department of Justice. This specialized team provides targeted support and taking aggressive measures to put an end to these heinous crimes in our state. I want to express my gratitude to all our partners who have collaborated with us in this important operation. Our fight against sexual exploitation and human trafficking will not waver because even one person being exploited is one too many. Together, we can create a safer future for all vulnerable individuals who deserve protection, freedom, and justice.”

“Human Trafficking and Child Exploitation is a growing issue, requiring vigilance and constant attention,” said King County Sheriff David Robinson. “It can take place in any community, regardless of the community’s size or location.” 

The operation lasted from November 29 and December 1, 2023, and included special agents from the California Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Bureau of Investigation, the Human Trafficking and Sexual Predator Apprehension Team, along with the agents, officers and deputies from Kings County Sheriff's Office, Department of Homeland Security Investigations, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Hanford Police Department, Lemoore Police Department, and Corcoran Police Department. 

Subjects were booked into the Kings County and Tulare County Jails on the charges of Penal Code (PC) 288.2(a)(2)-sending harmful material to seduce a minor, PC 288.3-communicating with a minor for the purposes of sex, PC 288.4-meeting with a minor for the purpose of sex and PC 311.4(b)-enticing a minor to produce pornography.  The Kings County and Tulare County District Attorney's Offices will be prosecuting the cases.

If you or someone you know is being forced to engage in any activity and cannot leave, you can call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888 to access help and services. If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 9-1-1. Additional information and resources to support survivors of human trafficking are available here. 

SACRAMENTO – Attorney General Kamala D. Harris today announced her sponsorship of two bills which will improve statewide tracking of forensic evidence through the adoption of technology.  The legislative package directs law enforcement to take advantage of two secure databases operated by the California Department of Justice: the CODIS Hit Outcome Project (CHOP), which enables agencies to share confidential information about the outcomes of DNA matches; and the Sexual Assault Forensic Evidence Tracking (SAFE-T) database, which will enable the state to track the collection and processing of sexual assault evidence kits.

“DNA evidence is a tool that provides law enforcement with critical evidence to bring justice to sexual assault victims,” said Attorney General Harris.  “By taking full advantage of the state’s existing forensic tracking technologies, these bills will bolster and modernize law enforcement efforts to solve sexual assault crimes.”

AB 1848 by Assemblymember David Chiu (D-San Francisco) will direct all local law enforcement agencies to use a second tracking system within the California Department of Justice, the Sexual Assault Forensic Evidence Tracking (SAFE-T) tool.  This database was specifically designed by the Attorney General’s Bureau of Forensic Services to allow local law enforcement agencies to log and track the status of all so-called “rape kits” collected from victims of sexual assault.  The bill will include annual reporting to the state on metrics relating to how many kits were collected and how many kits were indeed analyzed by a DNA lab.  In cases where local agencies decide not to test a kit, they will be required to provide a reason.

“Survivors of sexual assault who are submitting sexual assault evidence kits aren’t getting the answers they need and deserve,” said Assemblymember David Chiu (D-San Francisco). “To get at the crux of the backlog problem, we need to know how many kits are collected each year, and if they’re not analyzed, we need to know why.  This data will help shed a light on what areas of law enforcement need to change and whether or not they need more resources to get the job done. I look forward to working with Attorney General Harris on this crucial effort.”

SB 1079 by Senator Steve Glazer (D-Orinda) will achieve universal use the state’s CODIS Hit Outcome Project (CHOP) database.  This advanced technological database helps streamline criminal casework and enables law enforcement agencies to confidentially share information on the outcomes of DNA matches when their own evidence comes back with a positive match to the same known perpetrator.  The database also features a tracking system that assists local agencies in tracking the progress of a DNA hit once crime scene forensic evidence has been matched against a sample in the national database.  Universal adoption of CHOP will ensure that California’s law enforcement agencies are able to fully leverage this technology to promote public safety.

“My bill ensures that local agencies use cold hit information to its full potential for case investigations. Proper use of a statewide system will mean investigations will be more efficient, repeat offenders will be found in the system, and rape kits will be accurately tracked, among other benefits,” said State Senator Glazer (D-Orinda).

Both CHOP and SAFE-T are secure, web-based databases made available to local law enforcement agencies free of charge.  The California Department of Justice, which manages the state’s DNA Data Bank Program, created CHOP in 2009.  SAFE-T was created in 2015 in part as a response to recommendations from a report by the State Auditor.  When evidence taken from a sexual assault kit is analyzed and matched to a sample in CODIS, the SAFE-T profile is automatically linked to a database entry in CHOP. 

In California, law enforcement collects DNA samples from all felony offenders and arrestees, which are submitted into the CODIS database.  When a DNA sample is taken from a crime scene involving an unidentified suspect, the database is checked for possible matches.  In January 2012, Attorney General Harris announced that, for the first time ever, the backlog of untested DNA evidence in state labs had been eliminated. Since that time, the Department’s Bureau of Forensic Services has assisted counties in clearing their own backlogs.

In April 2014, the Attorney General’s innovative RADS program received the United States Department of Justice’s Award for Professional Innovation in Victim Services, and in 2015 the program was awarded a $1.6 million grant to test sexual assault evidence kits at local laboratories.

SAN FRANCISCO - Attorney General Kamala D. Harris and University of California President Janet Napolitano today applauded the signing of a new memorandum of understanding (MOU) between multiple universities in San Francisco, the San Francisco Police Department, and the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office to better support and seek justice for survivors of campus sexual assault. Their MOU is based on a Model MOU released by the California Department of Justice in May 2015, which was the product of a collaborative effort between Attorney General Kamala D. Harris, the University of California Office of the President, the Alameda County and San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Offices, and the San Francisco Police Department and Oxnard Police Department.

California is entering a new era of accountability for campus sexual assault. For the first time under California law, campuses across the state are required to immediately alert law enforcement when a sexual assault occurs. As of July 1, 2015, California campuses are required to have policies in place to ensure that reports of violent crime, hate crime, or sexual assault made to campus authorities are immediately disclosed to law enforcement. The Model MOU will help campuses and law enforcement agencies comply with their new obligations, increase reporting, and improve their response to campus sexual assault to seek justice for victims and accountability for perpetrators.

Specifically, the Model MOU lays out key action items that include:

• Clarifying the duties of campus authorities and law enforcement agencies following an assault, including who will act as first responder, who will collect and preserve evidence, and how to share necessary information while preserving victim privacy
• Ensuring that campuses, law enforcement, and community-based organizations work together to connect victims to services – including rape kits – as soon as possible
• Committing to regular training for both the campus and law enforcement communities

By adopting the best practices in this model agreement, school officials and law enforcement agencies can provide clear, accurate, and supportive information to students who have been assaulted, including a clear understanding of how to report an incident to authorities and where and how to seek medical assistance.

"I applaud the San Francisco law enforcement and college partners for adopting our model Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to respond to campus violence and sexual assault,” said Attorney General Harris. “I worked with President Napolitano and CA law enforcement to jointly create this Model MOU because we know that we must work together to ensure that perpetrators of sexual assault are held accountable and victims receive the justice and support they deserve. This effort will break down silos and ensure local coordination in response to sexual violence on campus."

University of California President Janet Napolitano said, “This is the kind of outcome California Attorney General Kamala Harris and I envisioned when we unveiled a toolkit in May to help law enforcement agencies improve collaboration on campus sexual assault prevention and response. We salute District Attorney Gascón for taking action on a memorandum of understanding with the UCSF Police Department, SFPD and the San Francisco Trauma Recovery Center.”

In May 2015, Attorney General Harris released the  Model Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), including both a How-To Guide and Template MOU for law enforcement agencies and institutions of higher learning to utilize in crafting and adopting customized local agreements. At a press conference with University of California President Janet Napolitano, law enforcement leaders, and advocates to announce the Model MOU, Attorney General Harris encouraged campuses to use these resources to improve coordination, collaboration and transparency in addressing campus sexual assault.

To view the Model Memorandum of Understanding, click here: https://oag.ca.gov/campus-sexual-assault. To view the information bulletin released in January, click here: http://bit.ly/1CcwfB1.

LOS ANGELES- Attorney General Kamala D. Harris today announced that the California Attorney General’s office was selected as an awardee of the Manhattan District Attorney’s Initiative to eliminate backlogs of untested rape kits. The California Department of Justice’s Rapid DNA Service Team (RADS) will receive $1.6 million over two years to test sexual assault evidence kits.

The California Attorney General’s office is one of 32 agencies in 20 states to receive a grant.  The funding will support the Attorney General’s continued efforts to test kits submitted by local law enforcement agencies that have a backlog of untested kits.  The California Department of Justice currently assists 46 of the state’s 58 counties in DNA analysis of sexual assault kits.

“DNA testing is a powerful law enforcement resource – a smart on crime tool that we’ve used in cutting edge ways in California,” Attorney General Harris said. “Evidence of sexual assault is too important to sit dormant for months while victims await justice.  This grant will allow us to use our Rapid DNA Service Team’s technology to assist more of our law enforcement partners across California in eliminating their sexual assault kit backlogs.”

In 2011, the RADS team, part of the Attorney General’s Bureau of Forensic Services, introduced new technology that dramatically increased the speed with which sexual assault kits can be tested.  The program uses automation to reduce the processing time to within 20 days, down from six months from the start of analysis. This process includes the uploading of DNA profiles into the FBI’s Combined DNA Index System to search for unknown suspects.  In one year, the program eliminated a long-standing backlog of untested rape kits in state-run labs, which included 1,300 DNA cases.

In January 2012, Attorney General Harris announced that, for the first time ever, the backlog of untested DNA evidence in state labs had been eliminated. Since that time, the Department’s Bureau of Forensic Services has assisted counties in clearing their own backlogs.

In April 2014, the RADS program received the United States Department of Justice’s Award for Professional Innovation in Victim Services.

LOS ANGELES – Today, Attorney General Kamala D. Harris announced steps to address the pervasive issue of sexual assault on California’s college campuses. As part of this effort, Attorney General Harris released a Model Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), comprised of a How-To Guide and Template MOU for law enforcement agencies and institutions of higher learning to improve their coordination, collaboration and transparency in response to cases of campus sexual assault.

Attorney General Harris was joined by University of California President Janet Napolitano, law enforcement leaders, and victim advocates at a press conference in Los Angeles to announce this effort.  Below are additional quotes in support of this critical effort to address campus sexual assault in California.

Speaker Toni G. Atkins (D- San Diego):

“Our college campuses must be safe places.  And if a sexual assault, a hate crime or a violent crime is committed, each campus and community has the duty to ensure it is taken seriously and resolved responsibly.  The model Memorandum of Understanding developed by Attorney General Harris provides an important, uniform tool for making sure students, faculty, staff and visitors at all California’s colleges and universities find themselves in a safe and supportive environment.”

Assemblymember Jose Medina (D-Riverside):

“Given the seriousness of the issue of sexual assault, particularly on college campuses, I am grateful to see the progress of the discussion with this Memorandum of Understanding from the Attorney General and all the continued cooperation between campuses and local law enforcement. As Chair of the Assembly Higher Education Committee, I believe we must protect students and community members and hold perpetrators accountable.”

California Coalition Against Sexual Assault (CALCASA) Executive Director Sandra Henriquez:

“CALCASA applauds the efforts of the California Attorney General’s Office in creating a model Memorandum of Understanding that will assist California campuses and local law enforcement to improve responses to address sexual assault.”   

California College and University Police Chiefs Association President Chief Randy A. Burba:

“The California College and University Police Chiefs Association supports the model Memorandum of Understanding and guidance document released by the Office of the Attorney General.  We thank the Office of the Attorney General for the opportunity to participate during the review process and we trust the final product will be a tremendous advancement to aid municipal law enforcement and university law enforcement in their shared, ultimate goal of assisting survivors and victims of violent crime.  We heartily encourage all of our member agencies of the California College and University Police Chiefs Association to utilize this excellent tool. “

Oxnard Police Department Chief Jeri Williams:

“Law enforcement is committed to a working partnership between campus police and county and local departments to increase the awareness and education of students in the area of sexual assault. This MOU demonstrates our desire to work together and to share resources to best serve our victims of sexual assault.”

University of California Students Association President Jefferson Kuoch-Seng:

“I want to thank Attorney General Harris and the University for their proactive work on the implementation of student- supported legislation. On every campus, sexual violence and response to assault affects everyone and has a huge impact on our campus culture. Student activists have driven a bold agenda on this issue and it is paying off. We have much more work to accomplish: UCSA continues to urge the UC Office of the President to implement mandatory in-person peer consent and bystander intervention training for faculty, staff and students at all UCs.  These model MOUs will ensure communication and cooperation among and on our individual campuses. We are encouraged by this guide, and look forward to meaningful community and survivor-informed discussions to address the issue.”

San Francisco Police Department Chief Greg Suhr:

"Local law enforcement has a shared responsibility with campuses to respond effectively to support victims however we can.  We look forward to working with the colleges and universities within my jurisdiction to implement this Model MOU."

Association of Independent California Colleges & Universities President Kristen Soares:

“AICCU appreciates and supports the work of the California Attorney General in serving as a resource to colleges and universities to ensure compliance with increasingly complex state and and federal campus safety and sexual assault laws.  These tools provide much needed guidance to institutions on best practices in protecting the safety of our students and the entire campus community.”

LOS ANGELES – Attorney General Kamala D. Harris today announced steps to address the pervasive issue of campus sexual assault on California’s college campuses. Joined by University of California President Janet Napolitano, law enforcement leaders and victim advocates, Attorney General Harris released a Model Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), comprised of a How-To Guide and Template MOU for law enforcement agencies and institutions of higher learning to improve their coordination, collaboration and transparency in response to cases of campus sexual assault.

“California has some of the best colleges and universities in the world,” said Attorney General Harris. “But for far too many hard-working students, the dream of an education from a top school is upended by sexual violence. We must acknowledge these students’ value to our future and give them the respect and dignity they deserve as our next leaders. This model agreement will help break down silos between campuses and law enforcement agencies to provide sexual assault victims with the help they need and hold more perpetrators accountable.”

Studies suggest that as many as one in five undergraduate students have been a victim of an attempted or completed sexual assault. In addition, this crime is severely underreported, with 80% of campus sexual assaults going unreported to law enforcement. Lack of reporting also impacts public safety, as studies suggest that repeat perpetrators account for nine out of 10 assaults on campus.

“A primary goal in our efforts at the University of California to prevent and respond to sexual violence and sexual assault has been to make sure law enforcement agencies are more fully engaged with us on this serious issue,” said University of California President Janet Napolitano. “Working closely with Attorney General Kamala Harris and law enforcement agencies will help us build trust and ensure appropriate outcomes for criminal acts of sexual violence and assault.”

California is entering a new era of accountability for campus sexual assault. For the first time under California law, campuses across the state are required to immediately alert law enforcement when a sexual assault occurs. By July 1, 2015, California campuses must have policies in place to ensure that reports of violent crime, hate crime, or sexual assault made to campus authorities are immediately disclosed to law enforcement. The Model MOU will help campuses and law enforcement agencies comply with their new obligations, increase reporting, and improve their response to campus sexual assault to seek justice for victims and accountability for perpetrators.

Specifically, the Model MOU lays out key action items that include:

• Clarifying the duties of campus authorities and law enforcement agencies following an assault, including who will act as first responder, who will collect and preserve evidence, and how to share necessary information while preserving victim privacy
• Ensuring that campuses, law enforcement, and community-based organizations work together to connect victims to services – including rape kits – as soon as possible
• Committing to regular training for both the campus and law enforcement communities

By adopting the best practices in this model agreement, school officials and law enforcement agencies can provide clear, accurate, and supportive information to students who have been assaulted, including a clear understanding of how to report an incident to authorities and where and how to seek medical assistance.  

The Model MOU is the product of a collaborative effort between the office of Attorney General Kamala D. Harris, University of California Office of the President, Alameda County District Attorney’s Office, San Bernardino District Attorney’s Office, San Francisco Police Department and Oxnard Police Department.

“I commend Attorney General Harris for taking a proactive step to make sure that our college campuses are a safe and welcoming community for our students,” said San Bernardino District Attorney Mike Ramos. “Together we share the responsibility of promoting best practices and collaborating with our partners in law enforcement and the UC system.”

“I am very pleased to have a well-thought-out guide suggesting how we can better assist survivors of sexual assaults on our college campuses while also complying with new legal requirements,” said UCLA Police Chief James D. Herren. “This toolkit gives us steps we can take to connect important resources as we pursue justice and work to eliminate this national problem."

“The work we have undertaken will forever impact the way California’s universities and colleges address sexual assaults on campus,” said Alameda County District Attorney Nancy O’Malley. “Sexual assault survivors will be assured that their voices are heard, that the crime will be investigated, and that they will receive the medical attention vital to their physical and psychological well-being. Also of great importance, campus personnel and law enforcement will now have clear guidance as to how to proceed when a victim reports a sexual assault.”

Attorney General Harris has a decades-long commitment to reducing sexual violence, holding perpetrators accountable and seeking justice for sexual assault victims. As a line prosecutor in Alameda County and then as the District Attorney of San Francisco, the Attorney General has long focused on violence against women and children. In her first year in office, the Attorney General eliminated a longstanding backlog of untested rape kits in state-run labs – which included 1,300 DNA cases. In April 2014, the California Attorney General’s Rapid DNA Service Team received the United States Department of Justice Award for Professional Innovation in Victim Services.

In January 2015, Attorney General Harris issued an information bulletin to California law enforcement agencies, higher education administrators and campus security personnel, providing enforcement guidance on new and amended sexual assault and campus safety laws. The bulletin summarized SB 967 (Senate pro Tempore Kevin de León, D-Los Angeles) and AB 1433 (Assemblymember Mike Gatto, D-Glendale), gave enforcement guidance in the context of existing state and federal statutes, and encouraged increased collaboration between law enforcement and campus authorities. At the time she released the bulletin, Attorney General Harris promised to release further guidance in the coming months, including this model agreement.

To view the Model Memorandum of Understanding, click here: https://oag.ca.gov/campus-sexual-assault. To view the information bulletin released in January, click here: http://bit.ly/1CcwfB1.

SAN FRANCISCO – Attorney General Kamala D. Harris today issued an information bulletin to California law enforcement agencies, higher education administrators and campus security personnel, providing enforcement guidance on new and amended sexual assault and campus safety laws. The bulletin summarizes SB 967 (Senate pro Tempore Kevin de León, D-Los Angeles) and AB 1433 (Assemblymember Mike Gatto, D-Glendale), gives enforcement guidance in the context of existing state and federal statutes, and encourages increased collaboration between law enforcement and campus authorities.

“The threat of sexual assault is real and pervasive,” said Attorney General Harris. “Last year California adopted some of the most aggressive campus sexual assault laws in the country. Today’s bulletin ensures that education leaders and law enforcement understand their responsibilities under these laws, enforce them consistently, and collaborate to protect victims.” 

The two new laws create reporting requirements and standards for campus disciplinary procedures.

SB 967 requires California postsecondary institutions – in order to receive state funds for financial assistance – to adopt comprehensive, victim-centered policies and disciplinary procedures concerning sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence and stalking. Under the law, an institution’s policy governing its campus disciplinary process must use an affirmative consent standard – defined as an affirmative, conscious and voluntary agreement to engage in sexual activity – to determine whether a sexual assault complainant consented.   

SB 967 requires campuses to use a preponderance of the evidence standard when adjudicating complaints in the campus disciplinary process. This means the evidence must show it is “more likely than not” – i.e., greater than 50 percent likelihood – that the victim did not consent. The law also requires postsecondary institutions to partner with campus and community organizations to refer both victims and perpetrators to health, counseling, advocacy and legal services.

“The laws we pursue in the California legislature set an example for the rest of the country,” Senate pro Tempore de León stated. “With 1 in 5 women on college campuses experiencing sexual assault, it’s our responsibility to secure a safe learning environment for our students.”

AB 1433 specifies that as a condition for participation in the Cal Grant program, campus security authorities are required to immediately – or as soon as practicably possible – disclose to local law enforcement any report of a violent crime, hate crime or sexual assault, whether committed on- or off-campus. Postsecondary governing boards must implement policies and procedures by July 1, 2015, to ensure reports of these crimes are immediately forwarded to the appropriate law enforcement agency.  

“Students at our colleges and universities deserve to learn without living in fear of sexual assault, and they deserve to know that crimes that occur on campus won’t be treated any differently than those that occur elsewhere in our community,” said Assemblymember Mike Gatto.  “I thank Attorney General Harris for her advice and collaboration in these matters.”

AB 1433 builds on existing state and federal requirements for campus and law enforcement collaboration. California law already requires postsecondary institutions to enter into written agreements with local law enforcement agencies. The federal Clery Act also requires campus officials to contact local law enforcement to obtain accurate statistics about crimes reported on or near campus. 

Attorney General Harris has a longstanding commitment to reducing sexual violence and seeking justice for sexual assault victims. In her first year in office, Attorney General Harris eliminated a longstanding backlog of untested rape kits in state-run labs – which included 1,300 DNA cases.  In April 2014, the California Attorney General’s Rapid DNA Service Team received the United States Department of Justice Award for Professional Innovation in Victim Services. Attorney General Harris is currently prosecuting two operators of cyber exploitation websites who, combined, facilitated the posting of over 10,000 sexually explicit photos and extorted victims to remove the illicit content.

 In the coming months, the Attorney General’s Office will release additional guidance suggesting ways in which law enforcement and campus personnel can comply with the new laws and facilitate justice for victims and accountability for perpetrators. 

To view the information bulletin click here: http://bit.ly/1CcwfB1

SAN FRANCISCO -- Attorney General Kamala D. Harris today announced the arrest of two women accused of operating a sex trafficking ring in San Francisco. The arrests are the result of a five-month joint investigation by the California Attorney General’s Office, the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
 
“The victims in these brothels were treated as commodities in an insidious human marketplace,” Attorney General Harris said. “Human trafficking is a heinous crime that destroys the lives of victims and threatens the safety of our communities. I want to recognize the steadfast commitment of our Task Force agents, law enforcement partners, and community organizations to bring perpetrators to justice and help rebuild these victims’ lives.”
 
“The interruption of this sex trafficking, under the leadership of the Attorney General Harris’s Office, is just another example of San Francisco’s commitment to protecting and preserving the basic rights of all; especially our most vulnerable,” SFPD Chief Greg Suhr said. “Fully understanding the gravity of the human trafficking trade, the San Francisco Police Department developed its own Human Trafficking Unit, partnering with other agencies to conduct proactive victim-centered investigations of sex and labor trafficking crimes.”
 
Defendants Qiao He, a.k.a. “Judy,” 37, and her sister Gaineng He, 36, both of San Francisco, were arrested today and charged with felony pimping and pandering. They are both being held at the San Francisco County Jail on $25,000 bail each and will be prosecuted by the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office. The Attorney General’s Office is still investigating potential tax fraud and conspiracy violations.
 
In January 2014, the Tax Recovery and Criminal Enforcement (TRaCE) Task Force of the California Attorney General’s Office initiated an investigation of an alleged sex trafficking ring in San Francisco’s Richmond District operated by sisters Qiao He and Gaineng He.
 
Over a period of several months, TRaCE’s investigation revealed that “Johns” allegedly paid as much as $200 for sexual intercourse with their choice of one of several young Asian women in the brothels. During the investigation, the defendants repeatedly told undercover agents that “new girls” were brought in every Sunday.
 
On May 7, agents with the California Department of Justice, HSI and SFPD executed search warrants on four San Francisco locations, including 385 7th Avenue, 4719 Geary Boulevard #601, 2094 24th Avenue, and 1511 24th Avenue.
 
The joint investigation was led by the California Attorney General’s TRaCE Task Force, which includes representatives of the FBI, California Franchise Tax Board, California Board of Equalization, California Employment Development Department and the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control.  TRaCE is a statewide task force created in 2014 to combat organized elements of the underground economy engaged in the manufacturing, importation, distribution and sale of pirated intellectual property, and other economic crimes resulting from the evasion of business and income taxes.
 
In March of this year, Attorney General Harris released a report, Gangs Beyond Borders: California and the Fight Against Transnational Organized Crime, which is the first comprehensive report analyzing the current state of transnational criminal organizations in California (http://oag.ca.gov/transnational-organized-crime). In addition, the report made recommendations to address the issue of transnational crime and human trafficking in our state, which included funding the state task forces that investigate and disrupt these organizations.
 
Attorney General Harris has been a strong advocate for increased collaboration between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies during the investigation and prosecution of the crime of human trafficking.
 
In 2012, Attorney General Harris released a report, The State of Human Trafficking in California, which outlined the growing prevalence of the crime of human trafficking in the state (http://www.oag.ca.gov/human-trafficking/2012). The report describes the evolving challenges California faces in addressing this crime, which has become a $32 billion-a-year global industry.
 
Please note that these are only allegations and, as with all defendants, those named here must be presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.