Sex Trafficking in the United States

Enslavement into Prostitution A Billion Dollar Growing Industry

Dec 29, 2008 Martha R. Gore

Human trafficking is the modern day practice of slavery. Each year traffickers generate billions of dollars in profits at the expense of hundreds of thousands of people.

Sex trafficking is one of the most lucrative sectors regarding the illegal trade in people and involves many forms of sexual exploitation in prostitution, pornography, bride trafficking, and the commercial sexual of abuse of children. In most countries, traffickers operate in almost total impunity even in the most severe cases.

Myths about Human Trafficking

The Polaris Project Acton Center explains that:

• Human trafficking is modern-day slavery through labor or commercial sexual exploitation and does not require transportation to occur, although transportation may be involved.
• Crossing international or state borders are not required to define human trafficking. Often it takes place within the borders of a single country,and may be nationals of those countries.
• Poverty is not the primary causing of trafficking. It is a criminal activity driven by (1) the ability to make large profits due to high demand, (2) negligible-to-low risk of prosecution.

Demand for Sex Slaves

Individuals who buy commercial sex create the demand for sex trafficking. Most often this happens at such places as:

• Brothels
• Massage Parlors
• Strip Clubs
• Escort Services/call girls and other "erotic services" agencies
• Hotel and Motels

Often the customers of sex services are not aware of the physical and psychological abuse and manipulation experienced by the victims however it is not uncommon for the customers to also participate in these actions.

Teens Especially At Risk

One of every three teenagers on the streets will be lured into prostitution with 48 hours of leaving home, according to the National Incident Studies of Missing, Abducted, Runaway and Throwaway Children. The sex traffickers are active in almost every city in the United States, including in places in Arizona, California, New York and New Jersey, for example.

A recent case prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney in Arizona was that of two teenage girls, 15 and 16 years- olds, who had run away from a juvenile detention facility. The trafficker bought the two girls tickets to San Diego where they were taught how to commit acts of prostitution. They were then brought back to Phoenix to work on the streets as prostitutes. (Case number: CR-07-0411-PHX-DGC) The man was sentenced to 16 1/2 years in federal prison.

There are several organizations in the U.S. who are trying to stop the sex predators and sexual exploitation industry, among them the Polaris Project and Shared Hope. In addition, many U.S. Government Agencies are involved in the prosecution of sex traffickers including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Department of Justice and police departments throughout the country.

Source:

Polaris Project

The copyright of the article Sex Trafficking in the United States in American Affairs is owned by Martha R. Gore. Permission to republish Sex Trafficking in the United States in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Darkness of Sexual Exploitation

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