Sex trafficking occurs when a person is forced, coerced, or defrauded into a commercial sex act. This also includes minors who are trafficked for profits. A commercial sex act is any sexual act in which value is given to or received by someone. Sex trafficking is normally thought to be an issue within developing countries, however, sex trafficking is prevalent in the United States as well. This horrific crime has affected communities all throughout the nation. The National Human Trafficking Resource Center has reports of human trafficking cases from each state. Thousands of human trafficking cases are documented locally and many cases go unreported. Examples of sex trafficking include:
- Prostitution
- Forced Marriage
- Sex tourism
- Mail-order brides
- Pornography
The victims of sex trafficking end up in this awful situation for various reasons. Sex traffickers will promise victims safety and a paying job. Victims will take job positions labeled as models, dancers, servers, or housekeepers but end up being taken advantage of by the traffickers. These criminals will use physical and psychological means to manipulate victims and take control of their lives. This includes threats to the victim and even to the victim’s family.