Sex Trafficking in the United States

• In 2005, the Department of Justice reported there have been an estimated 100,000 to 150,000 sex slaves in the U.S. since 2001.i

• In 2009, a University of Pennsylvania study estimated nearly 300,000 youth in the United States were at risk of being sexually exploited for commercial uses – “most of them runaways or thrown-aways,” said Ernie Allen, president of the NCMEC.ii

• Almost 300,000 American children are at risk for trafficking into the sex industry. (U.S. Dept of State)iii

• There are girls as young as 5 and 6 years old in the U.S. that are forced to do sexual acts for economic gain by their pimp (USDOJ)iv

• St. Louis woman Pleads Guilty to Federal Sex Trafficking Charge (USDOJ)v

• Since 2000, Child Protective Services in Kansas City, MO estimates that at least one victim of commercial sexual exploitation in identified each month through substantiated sexual abuse and neglect allegations, totaling a minimum of 84 Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking victims that have been identified by a single agency in Jackson County, MO alone. ( Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking Assessment Report)vi

• There is a severe lack of protective shelter for victims of Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking in the Independence/Kansas City area. Most of the available placements do not serve victims who are under the control of a trafficker/pimp because they are short term and lack the necessary protection. (Shared Hope International)vii

• The lack of protective shelter has caused inappropriate placement of Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking victims in juvenile detention facilities. Of the 214 beds available throughout the juvenile court system in Missouri only 25 of those beds are available for girls. (Shared Hope International)vi

• In 2009, a Kansas City man pleaded guilty in federal court today to child sex trafficking involving the sale of at least five minor victims for prostitution in Chillicothe, Missouri. (USDOJ)viii

• Federal agents and local police in Johnson County, Missouri raided 12 businesses and four homes on 10 May 2007, rescuing 15 women from ‘massage parlors’. (Humantrafficking.org)ix

• The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention reported 1,600 juveniles were arrested for prostitution and commercialized vice in 2006; 74% were female and 14% were under 14 years old. (OJJDP)x

• In December 2007, research by the U.S. Department of Justice National Institute of Justice based on interviews with pimps and sexually exploited children in several U.S. cities found that most pimps manage one to three girls at a time and operate as follows:

o At least half appear to operate at the local level only.

o At least one quarter may be tied to city-wide crime rings (often engaged in drug sales as well as prostitution) and are constantly looking for new recruits.

o About 15 percent are tied to regional or national networks that are well financed and organized, in which the pimps communicate easily with one another electronically; provide support services such as recruitment, selection, indoctrination, and movement of new girls; and occasionally assist in locating and disciplining girls who escape from other pimps.

o About 10 percent appear to be tied to international sex crime networks and, through them, actively participate in the international trafficking of children. Some pimps also are part of international drug networks and may use children to move drugs in to and across the U.S.xi

• In 2009, a three day operation across 36 cities across 30 FBI divisions around the U.S. led to the recovery of 52 children who were being victimized through prostitution. Additionally, nearly 700 others, including 60 pimps, were arrested on local and state charges. (FBI)xii

• In 2008, a mother and the man she lived with made her a dominatrix and schooled her in the ways of violent sex when she was only 12. By the time she reached 14, they had billed her as “Mistress Alisha,” and they offered her online for two years to service the sadomasochistic fantasies of anyone willing to pay. (USDOJ)xiii

• In 2009, five men and one woman have been charged in a 16-count indictment with conspiracy and sex trafficking of children and forcing and coercing adults to engage in commercial sex acts. This case represents the single largest domestic sex trafficking case in the history of the Southern District of Texas. The criminal enterprise transported women and minors to and from the Houston area and had ties to Kansas, Nevada, Arizona and Florida. Women and minors as young as 16 were enticed and coerced into prostitution and were routinely beaten and threatened. (USDOJ)xiv

• In June 2008, the FBI Innocence Lost Task Forces in 16 cities participated in the operation by targeting venues such as street tracks, truck stops, motels, casinos and the Internet where children are prostituted. Over 350 law enforcement officers from over 50 state, local, and federal law enforcement agencies, joined together to rescue child victims and the criminals who victimize them. This operation included sting operations in 16 cities across the country, resulting in the arrest of 356 individuals and the recovery of 21 children. (FBI)xv

• In 2009, Metro Police detectives and FBI agents busted what they believe is a family-run prostitution ring using underage teens as prostitutes in Murfreesboro, TN. (Daily News Journal)xvi

• Since 2003, 308 pimps and hookers have been convicted in (U.S.) state and federal courts of forcing youngsters into prostitution and 433 child victims have been rescued, according to FBI Director Robert Mueller. (AP)xvii

• In 2009, two Macon, Georgia men were indicted on charges that they locked a 14-year-old girl in a house and forced her to have sex with up to 15 people, then sold her for $500. (Crawford County Sheriff’s Office, Nov. 2009). (macon.com)xviii

• In 2009, four men were been indicted—one of which was an Army soldier—for allegedly running a sex trafficking business out of a Millersville, Maryland apartment. Prosecutors say the four used online classified ads and social networking sites to recruit females for prostitution and to advertise sexual services. The men allegedly arranged for the travel of females, including a 16-year-old girl, from Ohio to Maryland to engage in prostitution. (AP)xix

• Teen Girls’ Stories of Sex Trafficking in U.S. International Sex Trafficking is a well-known problem, But It Happens Here as Well (ABC Primetime, 2006)xx

• Between 14,500 and 17,500 victims are trafficked into the USA each year (TVPA)xxi; The CIA estimates 45,000—50,000 victimsxxii

• Three Plead Guilty to Sex Trafficking of Children (FBI)xxiii

• Halting Human Trafficking, 31 Arrests in Major Prostitution Ring (FBI)xxiv

• 797,500 children (younger than 18) were reported missing in a one-year period of time studied resulting in an average of 2,185 children being reported missing each day. (FBI)xxv

• One in 12 (82 of 1000) youth experienced sexual victimization, including sexual assault (32 per 1000) and attempted or completed rape (22 per 1000). (Crimes Against Children Research Center)xxvi

• In the first 21 months of operation, the Human Trafficking Reporting System recorded information on more than 1,200 alleged incidents of human trafficking between January 1, 2007, and September 30, 2008. Most (83 percent) of the reported human trafficking incidents involved allegations of sex trafficking. (USDOJ)xxvii

Sex Trafficking Around the World

• 1.2 million children are being trafficked every year; this is in addition to the millions already held captive by trafficking (UNICEF)xxviii

• Every 2 minutes a child is being prepared for sexual exploitation (UNICEF)xxix

• The average age of a trafficked victim is 12-14 years old (U.S. Department of Justice)xxx

• UNICEF reports approximately 30 million children have lost their childhood through sexual exploitation over the past 30 years (IAST)xxxi

• The International Labor Organization—the UN agency charged with addressing labor standards, employment, and social protection issues—estimates that there are at least 12.3 million adults and children in forced labor, bonded labor, and commercial sexual servitude at any given time.

Of these victims, 1.4 million are victims of commercial sexual servitude. Also, 56% of all forced labor victims are women and girls. (ILO) xxxii In the case of all forced labor, 40-50% of persons exploited may be children. (ILO)xxxiii

• People are trafficked from 127 countries to be exploited in 137 countries (UN)xxxiv

• The total market value of illicit human trafficking is estimated to be in excess of $32 billion (UN)xxxv

Information from www.crisisaid.org

i U.S. Department of Justice. Report on Activities to Combat Human Trafficking Fiscal Years 2001 – 2005. 2006. Pg. 9.

http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/crim/trafficking_report_2006.pdf

ii National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. Human Trafficking Breifing by Ernie Allen. (21 July 2009). Web:

http://www.missingkids.com/missingkids/servlet/NewsEventServlet?LanguageCountry=en_US&PageId=4079

iii U.S. Department of Justice Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section. (Nov 2009). Web: http://www.justice.gov/criminal/ceos/trafficking.html

iv U.S. Department of Justice Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section. (Sept 2010). Web: http://www.justice.gov/criminal/ceos/trafficking.html

v USDOJ Press Release. (13 April 2008).

vi Wade, Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking Assessment Report — Independence, Missouri, pg. 37

vii Linds A. Smith, Samantha Healy Vardaman & Melissa A. Snow. The National Report on Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking: Americans prostituted

children. Shared Hope International. (May 2009). Web: http://www.sharedhope.org/files/SHI_National_Report_on_DMST_2009.pdf

viii USDOJ Press Release. (16 July 2009).

ix Humantrafficking.org. Massage Parlors Raided in Kansas City, Missouri; Trafficking Suspected. (17 May 2007). Web:

http://www.humantrafficking.org/updates/631

x Missouri Uniform Crime Reporting Program. (2008). Web: http://notes.mshp.dps.mo.gov/cgi-bin/ibi_cgi/ibiweb.exe

xi U.S. Department of Justice Institute of Justice. Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children: What do we know and what do we do about it? (Dec.

2007). Web: http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/215733.pdf

xii Federal Bureau of Investigation Press Release. (26 October 2009). Web: http://www.fbi.gov/pressrel/pressrel09/crosscountry_102609.htm

xiii Office of the U.S. Attornery. News Release. (12 May 2008). Web: http://kansascity.fbi.gov/dojpressrel/pressrel08/humantrafficking051208.htm

xiv U.S. Department of Justice U.S. Attorney’s Office. Press Release. (25 Aug. 2009). Web:

http://www.justice.gov/usao/txs/releases/August%202009/082509Operation%20Total%20Exposure_print.htm

xv Federal Bureau of Investigation. Web: http://www.fbi.gov/innolost/cross_country.htm

xvi Daily News Journal. (18 Aug. 2009).

xvii Associated Press. (25 June 2008).

xviii Amy Leigh Womack. (18 Nov 2009). Web: http://www.macon.com/198/story/921005.html?storylink=omni_popular

xix Associated Press. (29 Sept. 2009).

xx ABC Primetime. Teen Girls Stories of Sex Trafficking in the U.S. (9 Feb. 2006). Web:

http://abcnews.go.com/Primetime/story?id=1596778&page=1

xxi U. S. Department of State, Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act 2000: Trafficking in Persons Report, July 2004. Web:

http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/34158.pdf

xxii Center for the Study of Intelligence DCI Exceptional Intelligence Analyst Program. An Intelligence Monograph International Trafficking in

Women to the United States: A Contemporary Manifestation of Slavery and Organized Crime. (Nov 1999). Web: https://www.cia.gov/library/centerfor-

the-study-of-intelligence/csi-publications/books-and-monographs/trafficking.pdf

xxiii Federal Bureau of Investigation of San Diego. Department of Justice Press Release. (20 Jan 2009).

http://sandiego.fbi.gov/dojpressrel/pressrel09/sd012009.htm.

xxiv Federal Bureau of Investigation. Press Release. (16 Aug 2006). Web: http://www.fbi.gov/page2/aug06/ny_prostitution081606.htm

xxv Federal Bureau of Investigation. Press Release. (22 Nov 2006). Web: http://www.fbi.gov/page2/nov06/missing112206.htm

xxvi Crimes Against Children Research Center. (viewed 27 Sept 2010) Web: http://www.unh.edu/ccrc/statistics/index.html

xxvii US Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, Special Report: Characteristics of Suspected Human Trafficking Incidents, 2007-08 (Jan

2009) Web: http://files.meetup.com/1160329/Post_on_Site.pdf

xxviii UNICEF. (23 Sept 2009). Web: http://www.unicef.org/protection/index_exploitation.html

xxix UNICEF. (23 Sept 2010). Web: http://www.unicef.org/protection/index_exploitation.html

xxx U.S. Department of Justice. Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section. (viewed 27 Sept 2010).

http://www.justice.gov/criminal/ceos/prostitution.html

xxxi Salvation Army Initiative Against Sex Trafficking. (viewed 27 Sept 2010) Web: http://www.iast.net/thefacts.htm

xxxii International Labor Organization, A global alliance against forced labour. (2005).

xxxiii International Labor Organization. ILO minimum estimate of forced labour in the world. (2005).

xxxiv United Nations. Press Release Note No. 6152. (2 June 2008). Web: http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2008/note6152.doc.htm

xxxv United Nations. Press Release Note No. 6152. (2 June 2008). Web: http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2008/note6152.doc.htm