When you travel to a foreign country, you hear a lot about sex-trafficking. The trafficking of underage children, girls who are stolen out of orphanages, and boys who are lured in friends and trusted relationships. I've just returned from Moldova where this issue is rampant. There is no law in that country to protect victims. In fact when I sat down with a governmental organization and asked them how many convictions were made against sex traffickers, the answer was ZERO.
But in the United States? Does this really happen here?
Sadly, it does. According to the US State Department, an estimated 14,500-17,000 victims are trafficked into the US each year. When you consider that the average trafficked victim is 14 years old, (A21 Campaign) it's plain to see it does happen. Too often.
Today, CNN.com broke a story about the Gambino Crime Family being indicted. Among the charges, sex trafficking and sex trafficking of minors for roles in an interstate sex trafficking ring. You can read the entire article here. The focus of the investigation was in Manhattan, Staten Island and New Jersey. Mostly, these women were forced to work in casinos and made the young women service the clients.
CNN has a special page with 58 other stories on sex trafficking from the US and around the world you can view here.
This is an evil issue we must deal with in the world. Pray for these victims and get involved.
