Human trafficking is a $32 billion global criminal industry, second only to drug trafficking. It takes many forms including sex trafficking and forced labor. Los Angeles is a major entry point for human trafficking victims into the US. Sex trafficking victims are often recruited from foster care systems. An estimated 27 million people worldwide are enslaved, with millions trafficked internationally each year, including thousands trafficked into the US. Ending human trafficking will require greater awareness, prioritizing related law enforcement, and enforcing anti-trafficking laws.

1. Human Trafficking: Modern Day
Slavery in America
Vanessa Gonzales

2. Modern day slavery
• There are 27 million slaves in the world today
• Bonded labor
• Forced labor
• Sex trafficking
Human trafficking is the world's fastest growing
criminal enterprise and is an estimated $32
billion-a-year global industry. After drug
trafficking, human trafficking is the world's
second most profitable criminal enterprise.

3. Where is slavery today?
Los Angeles is one of the top three points of entry into this
country for victims of slavery and trafficking. This trafficking
route occurs in a triangle from Los Angeles, California to Las
Vegas, Nevada, and back to Sacramento, California.
Sex trafficking has become a top issue for L.A. County leaders.
A key source of victims for sex traffickers is right in Los
Angeles County’s own foster care system.

4. Sex Trafficking
• An organized criminal industry that affects every
nation in the world.
• “Sex trafficking is defined as the recruitment,
harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of
a person for the purpose of a commercial sex act.”
(Polaris project)

5. Closer than you think
• It is estimated that California is amongst the top 3
states in the nation for human trafficking. Human
trafficking is surprisingly easy to hide. This is because
large immigrant communities within California, provide
for good concealment of a trafficking operation. Many
of these communities don’t trust authority
enforcement and therefore tend to remain silent when
they see these types of crimes committed.
• An estimated 12 - 27 million people are caught in one
or another form of slavery. Between 600,000 and
800,000 are trafficked internationally, with as many as
17,500 people trafficked into the United States.

6. Why does slavery still exist?
Last year slave traders made an estimated $32 billion.
That’s more money than Google, Starbucks, and Nike
combined.
• Easy to recruit
• Cheap to maintain
• Replaceable
• E

7. Statistics
• The average cost of a slave around the world is $90.
• 80% of trafficking involves sexual exploitation, and
19% involves labor exploitation.
• 14,500 – 17,500 foreigners are being trafficked into
the United States
• Most often the victims are females between the ages
of five and twenty-five with the average age range
being twelve to fourteen.

8. Who is behind human trafficking?
• Organized crime gangs
• Individuals and or small groups of criminals
• Drug cartels and or drug dealers

9. Helen Jean Singh Gets Nine Years In
Bay Area Sex Trafficking Ring
Oakland, Ca
A Sacramento woman was sentenced to nine years in prison for running a Bay Area sex ring that saw
her and her husband use fear, drugs and money to control teenage prostitutes, a federal
prosecutor said Thursday.
Helen Jean Singh, 22, and Mike Singh, both of Sacramento enticed the four teens into prostitution
by promising a "family-like" environment but eventually the girls were frightened or
manipulated into continuing to sell themselves, U.S. Attorney Melinda Haag said.
Singh pleaded guilty to sex trafficking conspiracy earlier this year and U.S. District Court Judge Phyllis
J. Hamilton handed down the sentence Wednesday, Haag added.
Investigation later showed the girls were promised a 50 percent share of the $100 an hour fee the
Singhs charged customers for encounters with the young women. The girls were also promised
food, shelter and a supply of drugs, including methamphetamine. However, as time went on, the
teens received none of the money, were beaten and were forced to continue to have sex with
clients, prosecutors said.
The couple allegedly used internet postings and cell phones to set up encounters with customers in
hotels around the Bay Area.
Source: The Huntington Post.

10. What’s being done to help?
There is only one shelter in the U.S. designed specifically to meet the needs of
trafficking victims, and it currently only houses a total of seven to nine victims.
But the F.B.I claims to be doing “plenty”.
“We work with other local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies and national
victim-based advocacy groups in joint task forces that combine resources and
expertise on the issue. Today, the FBI participates in 71 human trafficking task
forces and working groups around the nation.
Our Victim Specialists (along with victims specialists from the U.S. Attorney Offices
and/or other non-government victim assistance service providers) work with
human trafficking victims to not only advise them of their rights as victims but also
to assure they get the help they need to address their short-term and long-term
needs—like legal and repatriation services, immigration relief, housing,
employment, education, job training, and child care.”

11. How will human trafficking end?
• Raising awareness of the existence of human
trafficking and modern day slavery
• Investigating these cases should be top
priority
• Enforcing existing laws against slavery and
human trafficking through increased reliance
on investigational work and authority
enforcement