The document discusses human trafficking, particularly sex trafficking in the United States. It notes that the internet has become the primary platform for pimps, traffickers, and johns to buy and sell women and children for sex. Victims are often advertised online through sites like Backpage.com and Craigslist, made to appear as if they are working independently when they are actually being trafficked. One example is provided of a teacher who noticed signs a student was being trafficked and reported the situation after finding advertisements for the student online. The document outlines some of the common means traffickers use to control victims, such as physical abuse, confinement, isolation from family and friends, threats, and financial dependency. It

1. Human Trafficking
Overview
Sex Trafficking in the U.S.
Fake Massage Businesses
Internet Based
Residential Brothels
Street Prostitution
Hostess & Strip Clubs
Escort Services
Truck Stops
Labor Trafficking in the U.S.
Recognizing the Signs
International Trafficking
Trafficking FAQs
State-by-State Resources
Calendar of Events
The NHTRC Human Trafficking Report a Tip Access Training Resources Map Get Involved Contact
The internet has been identified as the number
one platform that pimps, traffickers, and johns
use for buying and selling women and
children for sex in the United States.
Pimps use online classified ads to sell women
and girls who they have forced or
coerced into the sex industry.
"I was first forced into prostitution when I was 11 years old by a 28-year-old
man. I am not an exception. The man who trafficked me sold so many girls my
age, his house was called "Daddy Day Care." All day, other girls and I sat with
our laptops, posting pictures and answering ads on Craigslist. He made $1,500
a night selling my body, dragging me to Los Angeles, Houston, Little Rock --
and one trip to Las Vegas in the trunk of a car. I am 17 now, and my childhood
memories aren't of my family, going to middle school, or dancing at the prom.
They are of making my own arrangements on Craigslist to be sold for sex, and
answering as many ads as possible for fear of beatings and ice water baths.”
– An Open Letter from MC to Craigslist.
The internet has beenidentifiedas the number one platformthat
pimps, traffickers andjohns currently use for buyingandselling
womenandchildrenfor sex inthe UnitedStates. Victims trafficked
throughpimp-controlledsex trafficking, escort services, in-call and
out-call services, chat rooms, pornography, andbrothels disguisedas
massage businesses are commonly marketedonwebsites suchas
Backpage.com, Eros.com, andothers. Individuals advertisedonline
for commercial sex are oftenmade to appear that they are working
independently, wheninfact they are victims of sex traffickingmore
oftenthanis recognizedor understood.
Ateacherbecame concernedafterone of her14-year-oldstudents
failedto show upto classes forseveral weeks. The teacherspoke
with several of the student's high school friends who indicatedthat the student hadanolderboyfriend
who sometimes pickedherupfromschool. The friends also directedthe teacherto multiple postings
advertisingthe student forcommercial sex onBackpage.com, Craigslist.org, andalocal dating
website. The teachernoticedthat several ads featuringdifferent younggirls listedthe same phone
number, andshe suspectedthat this numberbelongedto apimp. The teacherreportedthe
informationto the National HumanTraffickingResource Center(NHTRC)hotline afterspe
akingwith the student's father, who indicatedthat the student hadrecently runaway andwas
believedto be stayingwith herboyfriend. The NHTRCconnectedthe fatherandthe teacherwith a
specializedtaskforce who beganinvestigationinto the case.
*Basedoncalls receivedby the National HumanTraffickingResource Center. Identifyingdetails
have beenchangedto protect confidentiality.
When does it become trafficking?
Sex traffickingoccurs whenthe pimpor trafficker uses force, fraud,
and/or coercionto maintaincontrol over anadult andcause himor
her to engage incommercial sex acts. Whenthe individual providing
commercial sex is under the age of 18, force, fraud, andcoerciondo
not needto be present for the situationto be consideredtrafficking.
Commonmeans of control for this type of sex traffickinginclude:
Force–Physical or sexual abuse, ofteninthe formof repeated
rapes by one or more people to create submission;confinement to a
Internet Based E-mail PrintShare
SIGN UP BLOG SEARCH LOGIN
ABOUT USABOUT US WHAT WE DOWHAT WE DO HUMAN TRAFFICKING TAKE ACTIONTAKE ACTION RESOURCESRESOURCES MEDIAMEDIA GIVEGIVE
converted by Web2PDFConvert.com

2. Top Resources
HumanTrafficking
National HumanTraffickingResource
Center
Sex TraffickingintheU.S.
RecognizingtheSigns
TheVictims
Client Quotes
residence;restrictions onmovement, andcommunicationto family andfriends.
Fraud–False promises of abetter life throughthe trafficker presentingas aboyfriendor caretaker
figure;convincingthe victimthat lawenforcement/service providers will only see the victimas a
"prostitute" andwill arrest andnot assist the victim.
Coercion –Threats of harmto the victimor victim’s family;threats to shame the victimby revealing
the commercial sex to his or her family andothers inthe community;verbal, psychological and
emotional abuse;nightly quotas;confiscationof birthcertificates andother identificationdocuments;
forceddependency onthe pimpor controller;exploitationof victims’ shame or lowself-esteem;
rumors of or witnessedviolence at hands of traffickers;cycle of rewards andpunishments;threats of
deportationif victimis aforeignnational.
*The above list is not comprehensive orcumulative. One element of force, fraudorcoercionmay be
present, ormany.
Unique Characteristics of Trafficking via the Internet
Code Language–Traffickers oftendisguise the age of minor victims of sex traffickingin
advertisements. A 15 year oldmight be listedas 19 or 20 or simply as “young,” to avoiddetectionfrom
police. Insome cases, traffickers findways to indicate that commercial sex canoccur without
explicitly statingit. Inother cases, traffickers may use the photo of anadult inthe online ad, andthen
sendthe minor to the buyer who calledabout the ad.
Anyone Can Post –Ads whichappear to be postedby anindividual who is independently inthe sex
trade are oftencreatedby, or under the directionof, traffickers. Traffickers oftendisguise themselves
as the personinthe adwhencommunicatingwithjohns viathe internet, text, or phone calls.
High Volume–While some websites try to screenads for trafficking, this is made difficult by the
sheer volume of ads as well as the difficulty of knowingif the personadvertisingis independently inthe
sex trade or under apimpor trafficker.
Statistics Snapshot
Whenthe U.S. Craigslist Adult Services Sectionwas available, there were 10-16,000 adult
services postings/day inthe U.S. alone. This was estimatedat 40 percent of the total online sex
ads inthe U.S. eachday at the time.
Lawenforcement across the U.S. have identifiedonline sex ads as the number one platformfor the
buyingandsellingof sex withchildrenandyoungwomen.
AnFBI investigationfoundthat more than2,800 ads of prostitutedchildrenwere postedon
Craigslist in2008alone.
For more resources onsex trafficking, click here
Contact
Polaris Project
P.O. Box 53315
Washington, D.C. 20009
Tel: 202-745-1001
Fax: 202-745-1119
Email Polaris Project
What We Do
National Human Trafficking Hotline
PolicyAdvocacy
Client Services
Training and TechnicalAssistance
Public Outreach and Communications
Fellowship Program
Connect Search Join Our Network
search the site enter your email
More Client Stories
"Many things have changed for
me since coming to Polaris
Project. I now believe it’s never
too late to begin again."
converted by Web2PDFConvert.com

3. Privacy Policy | Copyright 2013 Polaris Project.
Sitemap Login
converted by Web2PDFConvert.com