Minnesota Sex Trafficking
Let's Put a Red Light on Sex Trafficking
Imagine a child you know is bought and sold. For sex. This is sex trafficking. And it’s happening right here in Minnesota. To our neighbors.
What is Sex Trafficking?
Sex trafficking is the sale of a person for sex or sexual acts. Sex traffickers may be family members, friends, recent acquaintances, or “boyfriends/girlfriends”of the person who is trafficked. Traffickers use violence, threats, and manipulation to control their subjects. As one pimp said:
THE GOAL IS TO GET THE GIRLS AS DEPENDENT AS POSSIBLE. MENTALLY YOU’VE GOTTA BURN INTO THEIR BRAINS YOU’RE THE ONLY ONE…YOU’RE GOD. ONCE YOU’VE GOT THAT DOWN AND THEY’RE READY TO WORK…THEN YOU INSTILL THE FEAR…THE WRATH OF GOD. IF THEY MESS UP, THERE’S A PRICE TO PAY, AND THEY KNOW IT’S A HEAVY PRICE.
Sex trafficking is not only a human rights violation, but also a public health crisis and a personal tragedy.
Does Sex Trafficking Exist in Minnesota?
Yes. Minneapolis is one of the top locations in the U.S. for child sex trafficking. A six-month study by local prosecutors found over 34,000 advertisements posted online for sex in the Twin Cities. But sex trafficking is not just a Twin Cities problem. Trafficking affects people from all parts of Minnesota. An online sting in southwest Minnesota led to the arrest of 48 individuals. One 16 year-old who was trafficked in northern Minnesota stated that she was exploited on average by five men every day―which means that she was exploited over 1,800 times in a year.
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