ATLANTA (CBS ATLANTA) -
Katrina Owens worked for years on the streets of Atlanta as an underage prostitute.
"You're physically trapped, you're emotionally trapped, you are mentally trapped," Owens said. "There was no walking away."
Owens was just 16 when she met a man who was much older.
"I fell in love with a man, I thought he was an honest and respectful person," Owens said.
But then the ugly truth came out. The man, who Owens thought loved her, forced her to into a life of prostitution.
"Once I crossed that line and fell in love - and was fully drawn in, it was all lies," Owens said. "It's more than just walking away because he has isolated you from your family and there's a level of shame that's built."
That's why Owens is glad that a state lawmaker is trying to push through a measure that would let underage victims of sexual exploitation get a clean break from their past.
State Rep. Buzz Brockway has introduced a proposal that would allow a person who was convicted of prostitution while under the age of 18 to get rid of his or her juvenile record for good.
"These folks are victims, they don't want to do this, through forced through fear and intimidation," Brockway said. "If they have evidence and can convince a judge that's the case. We will seal or expunge their record."
Owens now owns a cupcake shop and runs the advocacy group "MPOWER," which helps young women make the transition from life on the streets back into a conventional life.
She believes the measure can help a survivor of exploitation get a new start.
"I think it helps emotionally. It's part of the healing. You can move forward with your life and allow your past to be just that, your past," Owens said.
The proposal has been folded into a comprehensive juvenile justice reform package that is now in the Senate.
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