The Mann Act of 1910, also known as the White Slave Traffic Act, was a Federal law whose stated aim was to prohibit prostitution and human trafficking, but which in practice was used to criminalize sexual relations between consenting adults, and made up a key component of the Jim Crow laws.
Recent History
While the specifics of the legislation have been challenged and modified over the years, it remains on the books. Prior to the resignation of New York governor Eliot Spitzer, whose name appears on a list of clients of the escort service, Emperors Club VIP, sources including The Wall Street Journal suggested that Spitzer was negotiating a deal in which he would resign in order to avoid prosecution under the Mann Act.
References
Fast Facts
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Fact:
Named for Illinois Representative James Robert Mann
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A key prohibition is that of transporting a woman across state lines 'for immoral purposes'
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Has been used disproportionately against interracial couples
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Used to prosecute Chuck Berry, Charlie Chaplin, Frank Lloyd Wright, and Charles Manson
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Fact:
Evangelist Tony Alamo was arrested on charges of the Mann Act
