Sex Trafficking
Sex trafficking is a form of modern-day slavery in which individuals perform commercial sex through the use of force, fraud, or coercion. Minors under the age of 18 engaging in commercial sex are considered to be victims of human trafficking, regardless of the use of force, fraud, or coercion.
Sex traffickers frequently target victims and then use violence, threats, lies, false promises, debt bondage, or other forms of control and manipulation to keep victims involved in the sex industry for their own profit.
Sex trafficking exists within diverse and unique sets of venues and businesses including fake massage businesses, escort services, residential brothels, in public on city streets and in truck stops, strip clubs, hostess clubs, hotels and motels, and elsewhere.
(source: National Human Trafficking Resource Center)
An individual who may be a victim of sex trafficking may...
- Frequently runaway or have high instances of truancy
- Have a boyfriend/girlfriend/partner that is significantly older
- Use slang that may be new to you
- Show up with new clothing, gifts, or lifestyle changes that are are not in congruence with that individual’s typical behavior
- Be new to the area or seem to travel very often
- Display “brands” in the form of tattoos or other bodily markings
- Have have evidence of untreated STDs
Venues for Sex Trafficking
- Massage businesses
- Internet based operations
- Residential brothels
- Street or gang prostitution
- Hostess and strip clubs
- Escort services
- Truck stops