Sexual trafficking is something we hear about often. We’re told to be careful as women and to be vigilant of any inconspicuous vans that might approach us out of nowhere. However, sex trafficing takes place anywhere.
“ In 2018, 1,656 cases of human trafficking were reported in California. Of those cases, 1,226 were sex trafficking cases, 151 were labor trafficking cases, 110 involved both labor and sex trafficking, and in 169 cases the type of trafficking was not specified” (https://oag.ca.gov/human -trafficking/what-is).
Sex trafficing is the equivalent of modern day slave labor. Often clubs in LA are complicit in supporting and enabling this horrific behavior. An example of this can be seen in Club 907 in downtown LA. There were 81 women arrested and 7 men arrested at this club. Many were charged for the felony of using false identification in order to gain employment, “false identification charges are considered serious because they often go hand-in-hand with human trafficking,Vernon said” (http://www.ladowntownnews.com/news/dozens-arrested -in-hostess-club-bust/article_9212868b-4666-5c19-9d98-9b5520d130b5.html)
False identification is usually a sign that they have been coerced into indentured servitude. Victims of human trafficing are sometimes undocumented or they’re young girls that are reported missing and are forced into sexual labor. The trafficker “in strip clubs may be the business owners, shift leaders, fake massage business managers, brothel managers or independent traffickers. Often clubs and bars involved in sex trafficking offer commercial sex through escort services, massage parlors or brothels that are connected to the bar or located nearby”(https://humantraffickinghotline.org/sex-trafficking-venuesindustries/hostessstrip-club-ba sed). This goes to show that sex trafficking takes place everyone and one must stay alert to be able to help anyone that might potentially be in danger.
Sources
- https://humantraffickinghotline.org/sex-trafficking-venuesindustries/hostessstrip-club-based
- https://www.foxla.com/news/3-minors-recovered-11-arrested-during-los-angeles-based-operation-combatting-human-trafficking
- http://www.ladowntownnews.com/news/dozens-arrested-in-hostess-club-bust/article_9212868b-4666-5c19-9d98-9b5520d130b5.html
What can I get involved in or volunteer for, to help stop human traffiking? I really care about this issue.