What is Sex Trafficking? The Federal Trafficking Victims Protection Act defines the crime of human trafficking as: The recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for the purpose of a commercial sex act where such an act is induced by force, fraud, or coercion, or in which the person induced to perform such act has not attained 18 years of age. Domestic minor sex trafficking occurs when a U.S. Citizen or lawful permanent resident minor are commercially sexually exploited. Children can be commercially sexually exploited through prostitution, pornography, and or erotic entertainment. Commercial aspects of the sexual exploitation is critical to separating the crime of trafficking from sexual assault, molestation or rape. Commercial sex act is the giving or receiving of anything of value (money, drugs, shelter, food, clothes, etc.) to any person in exchange for a sex act. The age of the victim is the critical issue, there is no requirement to prove force, fraud, or coercion was used to secure the victim’s actions. The law recognizes the effect of psychological manipulation by the trafficker, as well as the effect of threat of harm which traffickers/pimps use to maintain control over their young victims. Now that we have all the legalese out and defined, we can start talking about the Who, What, Where, Why, and Hows. Who are the victims of Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking? Kids are especially susceptible to the deception and manipulation of traffickers. Traffickers recruit at locations that commonly attract youth, like schools, malls, parks, protective shelters,and group homes. Over 1.68 million American kids run away each year and become targets for traffickers. About 85% of DMST victims have experienced contact with the child welfare system, according to a New York Study. Boys and girls can be victims and the number one factor of vulnerability is the child’s age. Human trafficking in the U.S. is a $9.8 Billion industry. At least 100,000 US children are exploited in prostitution every year in America. Thirteen years old is the average age a child is first exploited through prostitution. The traffickers are called pimps and more than 90% of victims are under the control of a pimp. Pimps commonly sell girls for $400.00 an hour or more. I have seen the research indicating that the majority of pimps control about 1-5 girls and can sell the girls several times a day. This has become more profitable than selling drugs. We need to protect our children, It can, has and will happen in our backyard.