PRINTEditor's letter: Human sex trafficking
An insightful preview on one of Missouri's largest criminal activity
John De La Torre
August 30, 2012 | 12:00 a.m. CST
Human trafficking for sex or labor is a heinous crime that no one wants to think about, much less realize it’s happening just down the street. But domestic trafficking in our hometowns happens at an alarming rate. In the United States, between 14,500 and 17,500 men, women and children are enslaved.
Missouri is a hotbed for trafficking activity. An estimated 1,900 to 5,700 children in Missouri are at risk for human trafficking. As a transportation thoroughfare that includes the intersection of several interstates and big-city airports with international flights, the state’s location makes it an easy target. Other dubious distinctions, such as a high level of runaways and the country’s top meth production, help to create an environment in Missouri where trafficking can flourish.
Related ArticlesHowever, the state does have a proactive method for catching traffickers and rescuing victims. Task forces, agencies and coalitions work together to identify and prosecute traffickers and educate the public.
Our feature this week documents the first sex trafficking case prosecuted in Columbia and offers a glimpse into the world of the officer who cracked the case and the woman who lived it and found a way out.
Her experience shows that although the despicable activities of traffickers can and should make headlines, the story doesn’t end there. Behind the exploitation is the account of a survivor. Someone who, through her own strength and the assistance of a community that cared, managed to find stability again.
Sex trafficking is a difficult topic to discuss, but it’s important to do so because its strength lies within its secrecy.
Where are all the underage child victims? Why are the police just finding, and arresting consensual adults? Because the child victims either don't exist or are very few in number. They use the excuse of children to arrest consenting adults. If they are just after children, they why don't they leave the consenting adults alone? The police arrest the consenting adults - Why?
If there is no children involved - why arrest the consenting adult prostitutes, johns, and pimps? They are no children involved? Because the police are after adult prostitutes, not children.
Why aren't the police finding millions of children forced against their will?
Because their aren't millions of them.
Whenever the government or media talk about child sex trafficking - they really mean Adult consensual prostitution. Child sex trafficking is extremely rare. So the police find and arrest ADULT consensual prostitutes instead. While not finding any Children, or very few. They use the excuse of Children - But, children are not involved in this adult activity. And if they are it is because they are homeless or runaways, and need cash of their own free will. Not victims of a epidemic of terrible crime gangs.
Prostitutes are not forced they do the work of their own free will.
Sex trafficking is illegal and the penalties are very severe. It is very difficult to force someone to be a prostitute, they would have to have 24 hour guards posted and be watched 365 days a year, 24 hours per day. Have the threat of violence if they refused, and have no one notice and complain to the authorities or police. They would need to hide from the general public yet still manage to see customers from the general public and not have the customers turn the traffickers in to the police. They would need to provide them with medical care, food, shelter, and have all their basic needs met. They would need to have the sex slaves put on a fake front that they enjoyed what they were doing, act flirtatious and do their job well. They would have to deal with the authorities looking for the missing women, and hide any money they may make, since it comes from illegal activity. They must do all of this while constantly trying to prevent the sex slaves from escaping and reporting them to the police. They would need to prevent the general public from reporting them into the police. This is extremely difficult to do, which makes this activity rare.
Here are some good websites about sex trafficking:
http://bebopper76.wordpress.com
http://sextraffickingtruths.blogspot.com...
http://www.villagevoice.com/sex-traffick...
http://www.melonfarmers.co.uk/thread...c...
Posted by Chris monfort on Sep 17, 2012 at 11:07 a.m. (Report Comment)