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Sex trafficking is a serious issue throughout the world that requires immediate action. The survivors of this awful trade are/had to endure physical, psychological, and traumatizing events, some of which will last the rest of their lives. When talking about sex trafficking, its important to note the signs and behaviors to look out for in order to keep ourselves safe. If we cannot be manipulated or groomed by these individuals, then they have nothing on us. By donating, educating, and spreading awareness to sex trafficking, we hope to see a decline in victims/survivors in the future.
Sex trafficking affects all of us, but is mainly an issue for women and children. Survivors have had to endure physical, mental, and psychological trauma, some of which is irreversible. Not only is the aftermath horrendous, but sex trafficking affects our economy as well. Throughout this platform, we have discussed and educated readers on what is sex trafficking, victimology, side effects on victims/survivors, and possible solutions.

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This column will discuss the policies already in place along with potential solutions like education and support groups.

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The first policy that paved the way for a federal response to human trafficking was the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000. This act has three main components, protection, prosecution, and prevention. This act has been updated 5 times, 2013 being the most recent update. This policy started by providing protection to victims by allowing them to obtain a visa where they can obtain temporary U.S. residency, it expanded punishments and crimes for traffickers, and enhanced U.S. international efforts in order to prevent trafficking.

In 2014, the Preventing Sex Trafficking and Strengthening Families Act was enacted. This act strengthened the existing laws on child welfare, foster care, and adoption in order to establish long-term stability and assistance to victims of trafficking.

Next, The Justice for victims of Trafficking Act of 2015 was enacted. This act states that any individuals purchase sexual acts from trafficking victims may be arrested, prosecuted, and convicted as sex trafficking offenders.

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The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children is one of the most prominent organizations that help sex trafficking victims, particularly children. This organization works with law enforcement, the public, victims, and families in order to reduce sexual exploitation of children.

A21 is an anti-human trafficking organization which is fighting human slavery. They offer legal assistance, trained professionals to pinpoint warning signs, aftercare services for victimized children, and a 24/7 hotline service.

By donating and raising awareness for these organizations, we can hope that one day we will have less victims from the human traffic trade.

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This column will go over the victimology of sex trafficking in order to give you as a reader a better understanding of who is at risk and what signs to know. This includes who is targeted, minors, statistics, and who the traffickers are.

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This column will explain the question: What is trafficking? This column will define and explain the many forms of trafficking, give informative details to how common it is, and how prevalent it is in the United States.

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There are multiple types of human trafficking for various purposes including sex and forced labor. You will need to know these definitions in order to fully understand and follow along with this article.

Involuntary servitude human trafficking is defined as, "the obtaining of a person(s) through recruitment, harboring, transportation, or provision and subjecting such persons by force, fraud, or coercion into involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage, or slavery (not to include commercial sex acts)" (Hagan, F. E., & Daigle, L. E., 2019, p. 29).

The definition of sex trafficking according to the Oxford English Dictionary is: the action or practice of coercing people into prostitution, pornography, or other forms of commercial sexual exploitation, usually involving illegal or forcible relocation.

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This question is fairly hard to answer because based on research, we have no idea how many victims are involved in sex trafficking. Researchers and law enforcement have an idea of the number of people affected by the sex trade but we will most likely never know the true number of victims. Sex-related crimes are also severely underreported for various reasons. Victims may not speak out due to fear of their abuser, shame, or fear that there will be not repercussions.

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The people that are most vulnerable to sex trafficking tend to be young and healthy and are likely to be poor and powerless. Most traffickers will prey upon their dreams and aspirations in order to make you cooperate.

Although we often think traffickers are complete strangers that are just going to snatch us out of nowhere, this isn't the case for most victims. It will more often than not be somebody that you know, like a family member, a boyfriend, or a colleague at work. They are excellent liars and manipulators in order to get you comfortable around them so that you can be coerced into doing something you don't want to.

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This project will explore multiple aspects of sex trafficking including, effects on survivors, victimology, minors, and possible solutions and what is being done to help current victims/survivors. Being educated on the topic of sex trafficking is extremely important because effective awareness can lead to the detection of human trafficking cases, build public support for communities and government to act, and ultimately help prevent trafficking. When we think of sex trafficking, we often think that a stranger will snatch us or catch us off guard by hiding under our cars. However, a small percentage of victims get trapped that way. There is so much information that we don't know about sex trafficking, what does it entail, what are the effects, who is being targeted? These are all questions that will be answered throughout this project in order to help others learn and understand what sex trafficking is and hopefully teach you something you didn't know. Doing this project on Padlet was the best way to showcase this information because it allows virtual bullet points that will better showcase this information like a paper or PowerPoint presentation couldn't. These columns will include survivor stories, pictures, and videos in order to help viewers better understand sex trafficking.

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This column will showcase survivor stories so we may better understand what these people have gone through and will continue to go through after escaping.

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This column provides information on the short-term and long-term affects of sex trafficking on the victims/society. This will include physical, psychological, economic, and information on suicide/depression rates.

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The United States is referred to as "the land of the free". However, the United States has one of the highest numbers of sex trafficking victims coming into the country than any other with an estimated 199,000 incidents occurring annually. The number of reported cases, however, is much smaller. There were 11,500 reported cases of human trafficking in the United States in 2019 (Deliver Fund 2022).
The Deliver Fund stated, "as of the last US human trafficking demographic analysis conducted by the Bureau of Justice for the period of January 2008 through June 2010, the most common sex trafficking victims were either black (40%) or white (26%)" (Deliver Fund 2022).

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMCAovv2xKA&t=191s
Kathy Givens shares her story with sex trafficking. She talks about how her boyfriend was her trafficker and used love/love bombing to manipulate her. She speaks about how her past traumas made her an easy victim to sex trafficking.

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One way we can help reduce the risks of trafficking is by properly educating children and adults on sex, consent, and signs to look out for.

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https://polarisproject.org/survivor-story-fainess-lipenga/
Fainess Lipenga tells her sex trafficking story. Her employer was her trafficker and she goes into detail about how she was so isolated from the world that she didn't know how to get help.

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My employer took away my passport, locked me in the house and disconnected the phone whenever she left home. I was made to sleep on the basement floor. I was so isolated from the outside world that I had no idea there was help available.

I was brought to the United States to work in the household of a diplomat from my home country, Malawi. I grew up in a poor village without electricity or running water. I suffered abuse since childhood and was in an abusive relationship as a teenager. There was little hope for a better life. So when this family promised me an opportunity in the United States, and told me I could get an education while I was there and money to help my family back home, I was so very excited. I was going to break out of poverty and help support others in my village. When we got here though, nothing was what I had been promised.

My employer took away my passport, locked me in the house and disconnected the phone whenever she left home. I was made to sleep on the basement floor. I was so isolated from the outside world that I had no idea there was help available.

I worked all the time - literally all the time. I cared for children and cleaned and did all manner of household chores. My employer would allow her friends and colleagues to come over and bring their children and I was to care for them as well. She yelled at me constantly and was physically abusive.

On top of this, she married a man who owned a commercial cleaning business and I was put to work for him too. In the middle of the night I was taken to businesses and office buildings to clean carpets using heavy machinery. I worked all night then was returned to my employers home to work some more.

For all this, I was paid less than 40 cents an hour. I was used, like a piece of clothing you wear, like I was not a person. Everything was a nightmare, like a horror movie -except at a horror movie you can see what was happening. But for me, it was happening behind the door, so no one knew. I became physically sick. I thought I was going to die, here, all alone, and my family would never know. I thought she would just throw my body out and no one would ever find out what happened to me.

Some people ask then why I didn't leave. Well there were very real physical concerns. I had no money, no passport, and I didn't know anyone. I did not speak English well. But also I know now it is because of what I went through as a child. I did not really fully know that this was not normal, that a person should not be treated this way. I certainly did not know what trafficking was.

Finally though, I knew I had to get out. I think the final push was when I overheard my trafficker bragging about how she had made me sign a contract, in English, which I did not know how to read at the time. She told me when I was signing that she was going to pay me $980 a month. She was proud of this trick.

I had found my passport once when I was cleaning so I knew I could get it. I slept in the basement and could hear the garage door opening and closing so I knew when I was alone and it was safe to leave. I threw a few things I had into a trash bag, grabbed my passport and left. I went to someone's home who I knew slightly who was also in the diplomatic community. She helped me to find a job with another family, which was good but I was so worn down that I got very sick. I had to be hospitalized and - I don't know how this happened - my trafficker was actually allowed to come see me in the hospital. Eventually I got well enough to leave but I still struggled emotionally, physically and financially. Physical escape was only one step on the journey to freedom.

It took a lot of work and time to find a safe, supportive place to live and the help I needed. I had a lawyer and she helped very much as well. I learned English, mostly from watching cartoons and television shows! Today I am working, I am advocating for survivors of human trafficking, and I am studying to become a nurse. I am healing and I want to help others to do the same.

- Fainess Lipenga

Ms. Lipenga has consulted extensively in the anti-human trafficking field, fighting to ensure survivor voices are heard and survivor leadership is central to the work being done. She is the recipient of the Justice for Victims of Crime Award from the U.S. Attorney's Office of Washington, D.C. and is a certified nursing assistant.
" Back to Survivor Stories

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I was brought to the United States to work in the household of a diplomat from my home country, Malawi. I grew up in a poor village without electricity or running water. I suffered abuse since childhood and was in an abusive relationship as a teenager. There was little hope for a better life.

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https://polarisproject.org/survivor-story-james-evans/
James evans tells his story of being a sex trafficking victim and how his differs from others because of his sexuality. He fell in love with a man who he thought loved him, but was only using him for his profit.

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I thought I was in control. I thought I was making these decisions. I thought this man wanted what was best for me and wanted to help me. It never crossed my mind that I was being used as bait, having unprotected sex with countless men for HIS profit.

Growing up in a small, Midwestern town was not easy for a child like me. From a very young age, I knew I was different. I also knew that being different - being Gay - in my hometown was not acceptable. My solution was to hide my authentic self and try to become the person that others wanted me to be, hoping eventually that the new "persona" would eventually snuff out the part of me that I was unwilling to accept.

The lies, fear, anger, resentment and secrets festered within me, creating a void that could not be filled. I began to rebel, searching for something or someone that could bring me peace. I found it in drugs and alcohol. I began drinking regularly. I would show up to high school with vodka in my water bottle. The shame and guilt led to anger and resentment towards everyone in my life. I withdrew from family and friends. I just wanted to get drunk and high so I could escape the reality that I was a Gay man.

Up until this point, I was a star pupil and class president. I was on the fast track to live the life that had been designed for me. Suddenly, I no longer wanted to live that life. In fact, I did not want to live at all.

Eventually, my fear of "being found out" became reality. Just as I had anticipated, my family was not able to accept that I was a Gay man. They insisted that it was a phase and I could choose to be different. I realize now that I shared that same belief. I was unable to love myself for who I was. I was afraid of burning in Hell for eternity because I was Gay.

One month before high school graduation, I left home and dropped out of school. Homeless, penniless, and alone, I wanted to just drink myself into oblivion - and I needed somewhere to do that. I sought out relationships with older men I knew could support me and my growing substance abuse issues. I also discovered the incredible feeling of being desired and wanted. The validation that I got from older men was just as good as any drug I could ingest.

But the high never seemed to last. I didn't believe anyone understood what I was going through. Then I met a man on a "dating" app and everything changed. He understood what I was going through and told me that he saw potential in me. He told me about the amazing, glamorous life that he lived - traveling from city to city, attending high-profile Gay events, pride parades and exclusive clubs. He was charming and I believed I could trust him. He offered me a solution to my problems.

At this point, I was living in a dorm room at a college that I had gotten into after passing the GED exam. I was only there because I needed a place to sleep. I was on academic probation and I knew my days there were numbered. The man told me I had other options. He would teach me how to do massage therapy and I could live the glamorous and exciting life he offered. He promised the money would be great - especially because I was so "good looking." I didn't need an education. I could simply pack a bag and travel with him. Hopeless, I felt I had no other choice. I said yes.

He paid for my train ticket and I met him in Chicago. When I arrived, there were other men there who also traveled with him. They were not massage therapists. They were escorts. I was told that I could do massage - but I could make much more money if I had sex with the clients. The money that we made would then be pooled together to pay for the flights, advertisements and hotel accommodations. If there was any money left after that, I was told I would get a cut. I could make more if I helped recruit guys for the nightly live webcam shows. Every couple of days, we would book a hotel in another part of the country. Before we got on the plane, we would book a full day of escort clients in that new city.

I thought I was in control. I thought I was making these decisions. I thought this man wanted what was best for me and wanted to help me. It never crossed my mind that I was being used as bait, having unprotected sex with countless men for HIS profit.

Although hundreds and hundreds of dollars were handed over to this man in a given day, I was only given enough money to buy food. After one of the other guys introduced me to crystal meth, I became consumed. It was the only thing that could get me through this. I became a shell - detached from all emotion. I no longer had any respect for my body. My body was no longer my own. A piece of it belonged to every single man who violated it.

Eventually, I had a psychotic break. I became a liability and the men had the key cards to the hotel room changed. They skipped town and I became homeless in California - 3,000 miles away from home. I was used up and thrown away like a piece of trash from a fast food restaurant. That is exactly how I viewed myself - as a piece of trash.

I didn't blame the men who left me there. I blamed myself. For years, I tortured myself. I replayed these events over and over and over in my mind. Like a prisoner being forced to watch his nightmares on a loop. Every day was the same. Even though time moved forward, I was still living each day in the past. I was stuck and unable to move forward.

Then something miraculous happened. In the depths of my despair, a stranger found me broken, beaten down and afraid, on the streets and took me to the hospital. I was given IV fluids, some food and an opportunity to go to drug and alcohol rehabilitation. I agreed to go because I needed a place to sleep and food to eat. I was sick and tired of eating leftover food from trash cans on the street. I was too tired to fight life anymore.

This was the beginning of the road to my recovery. Still tortured by the trauma of my past, I wrestled drugs and alcohol for many more years. I truly believed that no one else had experienced what I had experienced. I did not think that anyone could understand and that I would have to live with the pain for the rest of my life. I had isolated myself and was afraid of everyone. I did not trust anyone because I knew everyone wanted something from me. Then, in late 2017, I stumbled upon the Polaris Project.

When I read through the survivor testimonials, I heard my story. I realized I was not alone. There was a name for what I had experienced. I had experienced sex trafficking. For so long I had denied this truth because it didn't fit the narrative that I had been told about sex trafficking. When I read the stories and identified with the other survivors, I found acceptance and was willing to find a solution. I was tired of feeling helpless and stuck, so I took action. I picked up the phone and I called the National Human Trafficking Hotline. For the first time, I was asked to tell my story and I told it with honesty and clarity. I was told that I was not alone and that others had similar experiences. I felt validated. I was given the opportunity to name the man who had coaxed me into trafficking. I was also offered services and resources to help me on my healing journey. Something amazing happened after that phone call. I got my power back. I was finally set free and ready to move forward with my life.

I no longer live in my trauma. I choose to live in my strength. I have recently celebrated three years of sobriety. I am so proud of my recovery and my desire to LIVE. I went back to school and became a certified massage therapist. I cried when I got my Massage Therapist Certificate in the mail because a pamphlet for the National Human Trafficking Hotline fell out of the envelope when I opened it. I realized things had gone full circle and that I had made something beautiful out of my past.

My family loves and accepts me unconditionally today. In fact, my mother is my best friend! I fell in love and have built a life with an amazing, loving partner. I never imagined that I could trust another man or have a healthy relationship. I never believed I was worthy of love.

Today, I know that I am loved and I am able to love others without fear. I have found that peace that I had been searching for all along. You can find that too. Today, no one has to be alone.

*Please note the name and image used are not of the survivor in order to protect survivors' privacy.
" Back to Survivor Stories

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Growing up in a small, Midwestern town was not easy for a child like me. From a very young age, I knew I was different. I also knew that being different - being Gay - in my hometown was not acceptable.

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https://polarisproject.org/survivor-story-christopher-bates/
Christopher Bates tells his story about how he was used for prostitution and sexual exchanges in order to make money and have safe housing.

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Looking back now, I do think that the men took advantage of a youth in a vulnerable spot by purchasing access to my body. I see that there were opportunities for me to have been identified - by teachers or medical professionals - but I wasn't. Instead, I was treated like a throwaway.

At 16 years old, in my Junior year of high school, I was able to start connecting with people using social media and gay hookup apps like Grindr. Up until that point, my upbringing had been challenging and lonely. I grew up in a home with a single mother who faced her own mental health issues and worked long hours. My father was largely absent - not by choice, but because of a hostile divorce. Many responsibilities fell on me from a young age and school didn't provide much of an escape, since identifying as gay meant that I was treated like an outcast.

Once I was able to start posting pictures of myself online, older men (that I now refer to as the wolves to my Little Red Riding Hood) would compliment me and make me feel special, like they cared about me. Then, things began to escalate. Some of these men offered to pay me for sexual content like explicit photos and videos. Others offered me money to meet up with them for sex. Soon, I was not only exchanging sex for money to buy a phone and other luxuries that my single mother couldn't otherwise afford, but also to buy meals at restaurants. This became my new normal.

During this time, I went from having good grades and being a motivated student to failing assignments and barely attending my classes. When I did attend class, I got away with using my phone the entire time. My peers and teachers had no idea what was going on, and no one questioned me. Some of my family members thought I was "discovering my sexuality," while others chose to look away. Three weeks before I turned 18, I ran away from home. I was attempting to escape from the trauma I had experienced at home, but was exposed to more risks and trauma in the process.

Not recognizing I was experiencing youth homelessness, I continued to exchange sex and sexual content with older men to meet my needs - a place to stay, false emotional support, transportation, food, and clothing. However, the fact that this was all the support I had impacted my self-image and made me feel stuck. After experiencing several dangerous situations as well as mental health challenges from sleeping with strange men, without realizing it at the time, I wanted out. The winter after I turned 20, I reached out to my mom and asked if I could return home. Even though she had moved to a new city, I was able to reunite with her.

After some time and a lot of paperwork, I was able to access government assistance and my own safe housing. This gave me the support I needed so I would not have to continue exchanging sex to survive. Feeling more supported also led to me wanting to find a greater purpose and be more involved in my community, so I began to volunteer at a shelter. During this time, I attended a community training on human trafficking and learned that there were terms for what I had experienced - sex trafficking and exploitation. Up until that point, it had been easier for me to identify that I had experienced youth homelessness, but I had a harder time identifying that I experienced exploitation.

Looking back now, I do think that the men took advantage of a youth in a vulnerable spot by purchasing access to my body. I see that there were opportunities for me to have been identified - by teachers or medical professionals - but I wasn't. Instead, I was treated like a throwaway.

People of all genders and races are exchanging sex to meet their needs and the public needs to understand that better. This is why I now work on a national level to bring much-needed awareness to the widespread issue of youth and young adults needing to exchange sex to meet their needs. I want to raise awareness of youth under 18 being able to access adult spaces via their phones through the App Store. I am changing systems that impact vulnerable young adults so they are supported and connected.

- Christopher Bates
" Back to Survivor Stories

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At 16 years old, in my Junior year of high school, I was able to start connecting with people using social media and gay hookup apps like Grindr. Up until that point, my upbringing had been challenging and lonely. I grew up in a home with a single mother who faced her own mental health issues and worked long hours.

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https://polarisproject.org/survivor-story-ursel-hughes/
Ursel Hughes tells the tragic story of being a victim while pregnant. She was beat regularly, and realized that she had to find a way out in order to protect her son.

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I knew that if I didn't leave now, I would not be able to keep my son safe. My life meant nothing to me but his life meant everything.

I was 20 years old and pregnant by my pimp. The further I got along in my pregnancy, the less I was able to "work" (sell sex) and the more violent he became. At around 7 months, he beat me so severely I was taken to the hospital. It was clear I had experienced violence of some kind. My teeth had been kicked in and my face was bruised and bloody. Despite my visible injuries, I wasn't sure what to say to the hospital staff when they asked me if I needed help. I knew the consequences of outing my pimp for what he was and I was scared of what would happen if I told them the truth. So instead, dropping my head to avoid eye contact, I just told them that I was fine and didn't need help.

When the nurse I had spoken to returned, she gave me information on domestic violence shelters and a card that had the National Human Trafficking Hotline number on it. Shortly thereafter, once I was out of the hospital, I called the hotline and told them my story. The advocate I spoke to helped me think about how to keep both myself and my baby safe. She supported me in coming up with a plan to leave my pimp when I was ready. She also gave me a list of direct service providers to call if I needed shelter or other services.

I did not leave right away. After my son was born, I was forced to go back to selling sex. This was the turning point for me.I knew that if I didn't leave now, I would not be able to keep my son safe. My life meant nothing to me but his life meant everything. Nothing was more important than protecting him. Terrified and brave, I called the numbers the hotline had given me. Because of the hotline, I had already thought through my plan for escaping and I already had somewhere to turn to when I was ready to leave. I am forever grateful to the hotline for this.

I want other survivors who may be considering leaving but are not sure where to turn or who may be afraid to call the hotline to know this: Making that first call is scary but nothing changes if you don't change something yourself. I was scared when I made my first call but gratitude is an understatement for my feelings toward the hotline. The hotline didn't just help me when I needed it. I truly believe that if it wasn't for the hotline helping me when they did, my son would not be alive today.

- Ursel Hughes

*Please note the image above is not of the survivor in order to protect survivors' privacy.
" Back to Survivor Stories

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I was 20 years old and pregnant by my pimp. The further I got along in my pregnancy, the less I was able to "work" (sell sex) and the more violent he became. At around 7 months, he beat me so severely I was taken to the hospital.

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According to the Shero Foundation, human trafficking survivors have an alarming higher-than-average rate of suicidal thoughts with a percentage of 23% of survivors having attempted suicide, compared with 3% of the population with no prior domestic violence exposure.

Survivors who come forward with their stories will often not mention the hopelessness, shame, or guilt that they develop after being trafficked. It is important for us as listeners to be understanding and supportive of these survivors who do happen to come forward.

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According to Sex Trafficking: A Global Perspective, it is estimated that the profits from sex trafficking in the United States are around $7 billion annually.

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Sex trafficking and forced prostitution, as you could imagine, has serious consequences on the body short-term and long-term. According to Mary Chesnay, a professor of nursing who wrote the book Sex Trafficking: A Clinical Guide for Nurses, gave a list of all the physical traumas/illnesses that she has witnessed with sex trafficking victims. This list includes short-term injuries like slapping, beatings, STD's, and rape, while also including long-term injuries like being shot, having their face cut with a potato peeler, being hit with a car, and one was being burned with acid and hot irons.

These horrific actions mentioned above are not even the most extreme cases that have happened. Victims of these circumstances will have scars, illnesses, and disorders for the rest of their lives that they will have to somehow move on and accept.

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When having the discussion about sex trafficking and the affects that survivors have had to go through, we often think of the physical affects rather than psychological. The mental issues suffered by these people are profound and long-lasting.  The psychological affects are perhaps more damaging than the physical affects.

Some psychological issues that are commonly found, but not limited to, are depression, suicide attempts, anxiety, poor self-esteem, substance abuse as a coping mechanism, and shame.

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https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fjjie.org%2F2014%2F01%2F23%2Fhumans-not-for-sale-federal-and-state-trafficking-legislation%2F&psig=AOvVaw3WqwuRCfePURDiwzeVRwh1&ust=1666301098234000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CA0QjhxqFwoTCPiBiMKd7foCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAN

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According to the Guardian Group, over 99% of sex trafficking victims are female. The average age of entry into the sex trade is 15 years old for females, and it is believed to be younger for males, with 1 in 6 being under the age of 12.

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Strangers may be a major concern when we originally think of who is doing the trafficking however, specifically when it comes to minors, close relationships are the real issue. Children are more likely to be trafficked by their parents, a boyfriend, friend, or family member.

(Working with children who are victims or at Risk Barnardo’s model of ...pg 16) Identified four stages to the grooming process. Although this charity is based out of the UK, these stages apply to most pedophiles, groomers, and traffickers. Keep in mind that grooming is when someone builds a relationship, trust and emotional connection with a child or young person so they can manipulate, exploit and abuse them (Nspcc).

1. Targeting Stage- where the groomer will identify some sort of vulnerability.
2. Friendship-forming Stage- This is where the groomer will try to establish trust with their victim and gather information.
3. Loving Relationship Stage- This is where the groomer will provide needs to their victim. This includes giving gifts, affection, and love.
4. The Abusive Relationship Stage- This is the final step for the grooming process. The groomer will now isolate the victim and turn their once "loving relationship" into a sexual/abusive one. This will go to the extent of force, manipulation, and fear in order to maintain participation and silence.

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Sex trafficking can be a one person offence, or it could be a ring consisting of thousands of people. There are two distinct types of offenders (Sex trafficking 2010)

The first includes traffickers who make available human beings for sex trafficking. This includes kidnapping (or hiring someone to kidnap), transporting the victims, and individuals who foster the sexual abuse of the victim.

The second category includes the customers who are paying to abuse the victims. This includes sexually abusing victims once for sex or they can completely buy the victim and do as they please.