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Its difficult to relate to something when we believe it has nothing to do with

us and wont affect our way of life. When we feel a problem is a far cry from
reality, we convince ourselves its not our problem to worry about. In many cases
of human trafficking, victims dont seem this horrendous crime happening to
them, until it does. One of the most gruesome subgroups in the circle of
trafficking is sex trafficking, and most cases reported seem to be targeted around
them. While its hard to distinguish the signs of a human trafficker, many cases
have made it easier to understand the cautions of sex trafficking.
Human sex trafficking is the new drug trafficking. While we have been
aware that women and children have been kidnapped and smuggled across
borders for prostitution since the early 1900s, this twisted crime has become
increasingly popular. According to the Department of Homeland Security,
600,000-800,000 people are trafficked across international borders each year
(Brown 18). While this number includes all forms of trafficking, it is proven that
nearly 43% of slaves are used for sex, 32% are used for unpaid labor, and the
rest are used for both sexual and economic services (Kapstein 103-115). Some
victims can be young as 13. It doesnt matter whether you are a man or a
woman, an adult or a child, or a citizen or a non-citizen; no one is safe from being
a victim of sex trafficking. Abductors prey on the weak and the alone, which
explains why most women and children are targeted.
One of the most shocking recent pieces about human sex trafficking is
about an 18-year-old girl named Phoenix who moved to Toronto on her own. She
found her life falling into place as she came into a whirlwind of good luck with

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jobs, money, and boyfriends. Little did she know that a relationship with one
charming man would lead her to become a victim in a enormous sex trade in
Ontario for the next four years of her life.
In this case, she unknowingly walked into a trap that would lead her to a
life full of nightmares and flashbacks that can only be coped with through therapy
and nourishment. Stripped of all dignity, individuality, and humanity, she was
traded as a sex slave to men for them use as they please, when they pleased.
She was branded with her pimps name and beaten and starved regularly. Not
only was it a physical nightmare, but also the constant brainwashing of these
cold-hearted perpetrators convinced her that she needed to do this because she
was indented to them, and desperately needed them to survive. She would slave
from 7 a.m. to 3 a.m. the next day, all to never see a cent of profit that was
always promised, but never fulfilled. The only reason she was able to tell the tale
today is because she was thrown in an alley next to the dumpster when she was
fatally injured in one of her daily beatings (The pimps turn you into a robot A1).
Not all victims are this lucky.
Ontario is home to one of the largest sex trafficking activities on record.
There have been over 359 cases investigated since 2013 in Toronto alone. One
overwhelming similarity present in all these cases is that the same website,
Backpage.com, was used to advertise every victim. Traffickers are now using not
only Backpage to sell girls, but social media sites like Facebook and Instagram to
communicate with them, according to police, social workers and court documents
(Are We Not Closing the Gaps? A1). This is one of the ways that victims are

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targeted, and with the rise of social media, it makes it easier every year to find a
new way to find someone on the Internet.
According to the United Nations, it is estimated that the human trafficking
industry earns around $32 billion per year and the average sale price for a slave
is around $12,500. Some of the most well known trafficking gangs are located
in Asia, Latin America, and parts of Eastern Europe (Kapstein 103-115). Dont let
these statistics fool you. The United States and many developed nations are part
of this international crime crisis. Many victims are simply picked off the streets
and stripped of their identifies, brainwashed and sold into a life full of constant
agony. This was true for a young lady who goes by Lazenko. She was tricked by
a friend, abducted from her comforting life, and forced into sex labor for 19
years. She was only 13 years old when her childhood was stolen from her.
Shockingly enough, this all happened in Orange County, California (Beitisch 1).
One of the most famous cases that were in the realm of sex trafficking
was the case of Former spokesman for Subway, Jared Fogle. He was found
guilty to having paid sex with minors. He was aware they were minors, and was
even quoted once saying The younger the better (Mathon-Mathieu A.15). In
New York, where Fogle traveled to meet his victims, 45 percent of commercial
child sexual exploitation takes place in hotels, according to a 2008 analysis.
Luxury hotels often act as though they are immune to this problem -- that such
crimes occur only at cheap hotels -- but we know that any hotel can be used for
solicitation of commercial sex with minors. While the plea agreement ensures
that Fogle will go to jail for his crimes and pay his victims restitution, charging him

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essentially with engaging only in interstate prostitution reinforces the false
narrative that these children are willing participants in the sex trade, as opposed
to victims of child rape and child sex trafficking. The sticky part about cases like
these is the fact that the victims willingly became involved in the crime knowing
it was illegal.
The saddest part about human trafficking is that many dont make it out,
and if they do its after many grueling and horrible years. Some places, like in
Ontario, have started a safe house where victims can stay to cope with their
position. It is said that some stay for up to two years, and many victims suffer
from severe mental trauma (Are We Not Closing the Gaps? A1). The effects of
trafficking last a lifetime, giving victims long-lasting nightmares and dependency
issues.
Is there a way to prevent sex trafficking? While it cant always be
prevented, there are signs that can be useful to know. On social media, if there
are hints of sex trafficking, its important to report the account or contact a local
police. In person, its important to be of wary of any new love interests that come
into your life who seem to be showering you with gifts. While this can be very
normal, this was the beginning of many sex trafficking crimes, including in
Phoenixs case. Also, its critical to be cautious about any sex trade crimes in
your area.
Sex trafficking is an international crisis. It is nave to think that this
horrendous crime is not happening in our small towns and big cities here in the
United States and other developed countries. While this crime is on the rise, its

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important to understand the discretions that everyone can take to prevent this
felony from increasing its statistics and to not fall victim to these cold, heartless
criminals.