Human trafficking of children for sex and pornography is very common around the world and in the United Sates. Contrary to the common assumption of most people in the U. S. human trafficking does not just occur in other countries. There have been cases of human trafficking in every state. Victims of human trafficking can be children or adults, male or female and U.S, citizens or people imported from other countries. Human trafficking can be either for labor exploitation, domestic labor or prostitution and pornography. Trafficking for sexual purposes is more common than most Americans realize. It happens in every state and city in the U.S. A. Unfortunately, it most often involves children and minors. According to the U.S. government thousands of men, women and children are trafficked in the United States for purposes of sexual and labor exploitation.
Trafficking of children for sexual purposes is on the rise. It is estimated that the average age of entry into the sexual trafficking market for children is 12 to 14 years old. Where do these young victims come from? Many are teen-age runaways that are scooped up by the sexual predators and sold within a few days after capture. Some are kidnapped, and some are even sold into the sex market by adults. Sex traffickers target children because they are vulnerable, gullible, and easy to intimidate and control. But, of course, the main reason is because there is a huge market demand for the young victims. The children at risk to sexual predation and trafficking are not just high school students. Pimps, those who sell young girls and boys to men for sexual purposes, target children as young as twelve. Traffickers recruit minors through chat lines, internet, clubs, friends, and malls, and, of course, kidnapping. Children can be kidnapped at bus stops, walking home from school or running away. The child is immediately moved to a strange place, another city or state, and is usually sold to “johns” with a few days of capture. The children are brought into submission through intimidations, beatings, torture, humiliation, and degradation. The children can see no way of escape as they are watched every minute, and threatened with beatings or even death if they try.
Any child, regardless of race, socio-economic conditions, or living conditions can be vulnerable, but studies indicate predators target children from broken homes, foster homes, unhappy homes or poor homes. Children not living with their parents are prime targets. It is estimated there are at least 100,000 (recent TV show) women and children trafficked in or into the U.S. every year. No one knows how many are captured in the United States, but the estimated numbers are high. This is illegal, immoral and a modern day injustice. (This information has been compiled from a number of sources). Please become informed, angry and prayerful about this.
“For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, now I will arise”, says the Lord. “I will set him (her) in the safety for which he (she) yearns.” Psalms 12:5
