1121: Brian Heck – Republican Sexual Predators

Brian Heck was a school board member in Belgrade, MT. He ran as a parents-rights candidate striving to keep out progressive ideas. In July, he was one of eighteen people arrested in a child exploitation and trafficking investigation. He resigned from the school board.

Screenshot of text form interview
I will always be a staunch advocate of parents’ rights and will strive to make sure parents feel their voices are heard. I stand behind our teachers and administrators to do what they’re trained to do, teach our kids. That said, I will have no tolerance for progressive social agendas being pushed on children in the classroom. Values are to be taught at home and schools are for learning. — Belgrade News Candidate Interview

He was charged with patronizing a prostitute. I don’t consider employing a sex worker predatory so long as they ARE NOT TRAFFICKED. When the case includes trafficking, that is another story. He pled not guilty and the next court hearing will be October 27th.

The Department of Justice has clear legal definitions of trafficking. It requires the use of force, fraud, or coercion. That is different than uses the services of an independent sex worker who has the agency to decide what they want to do. .

Sex trafficking is the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, obtaining, patronizing, or soliciting of a person for the purpose of a commercial sex act in which a commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud, or coercion, or in which the person induced to perform such act has not attained 18 years of age. (22 U.S.C. § 7102(11)(A)).
Forced labor is the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for labor or services, through the use of force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of subjection to involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage, or slavery. (22 U.S.C. § 7102(11)(B)).