North Carolina has joined Texas in making the purchase of sex a felony, adopting a controversial “Nordic Model” approach that criminalizes sex buyers while maintaining criminal penalties for sex workers. This move has raised concerns among advocates for sex worker rights, who argue that the law will ultimately harm those it aims to protect.

Effective December 1, 2024, the new law, House Bill 971, rewrites the state’s statute on soliciting for prostitution, reclassifying it from a misdemeanor to a Class I felony for a first offense and a Class H felony for subsequent offenses. The law primarily targets the purchaser, referred to as a “John,” but maintains criminal penalties for sex workers themselves.

The bill’s sponsors, Representative Kevin Crutchfield and Senator Buck Newton, argue that the law aims to prevent further victimization of individuals involved in prostitution and deter sex buying. They claim that the increased penalty will act as a greater deterrent, reducing the demand for sex work and ultimately leading to a decrease in exploitation.

Assistant Chief Chris Schultheis of the Greensboro Police Department emphasizes the importance of the law’s focus on addressing potential human trafficking, highlighting the need for hotel and motel staff to undergo training in recognizing signs of human trafficking.

Advocacy groups like the N.C. Demand Reduction Task Force, which lobbied for the law’s passage, believe that criminalizing sex buyers will reduce demand and help combat sex trafficking. Pam Strickland, founder of N.C. Stop Human Trafficking, expects increased participation in law enforcement training focused on conducting reverse sting operations against sex buyers.

However, critics argue that this “Nordic Model” approach is flawed and ultimately harmful to sex workers. Organizations like Decriminalize Sex Work and the Global Network of Sex Work Projects point to evidence that these laws increase violence against sex workers by forcing them to operate in clandestine and dangerous environments.

They argue that criminalizing sex buyers doesn’t address the root causes of sex work, such as poverty, discrimination, and lack of economic opportunities, and instead exacerbates these issues by driving sex work underground and making it more difficult for individuals to access support services and resources.

One retired sex worker, speaking anonymously, expressed deep concerns about the new law, stating that it’s “rooted in a misogynistic ‘protection’ perspective” and ignores the agency of individuals who choose to engage in sex work.

This new law in North Carolina has ignited a heated debate about the effectiveness and ethics of criminalizing sex buyers while maintaining penalties for sex workers. The implications of this legislation for the safety and well-being of sex workers, as well as the overall effectiveness in addressing human trafficking, remain to be seen. The debate surrounding this law is likely to continue as its impact is observed and evaluated.