Freedom is something that is often taken for granted.
For victims of human trafficking, freedom is not an option. There are people who live the majority of their lives without experiencing true freedom.
Everyday innocent people are being forced into prostitution; it is modern day slavery.
We have all heard of sex trafficking before, but what does it mean?
Sex trafficking is the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for purpose of a commercial sex act.
Under federal law, minors under the age of 18 involved in any commercial sex act are a victim of sex trafficking.
Many people view sex trafficking and prostitution to be completely different things.
The world sees prostitution as an occupation that people willingly choose to do and sex trafficking as something victims are forced into.
Studies by the Kansas State University Freedom Alliance have shown that 95% of prostituted women want out of prostitution but cannot leave.
Millions of men, women and children are being kidnapped, abused, assaulted, and drugged all to facilitate cheap or free labor of sex.
Sex traffickers use threats, violence, lies and other forms of coercion to force people to engage in commercial sex against their will.
According to KSU Freedom Alliance studies, 1.2 million children are being sold into sex slavery every year. The average age of a young woman being sold as a sex slave is between 12-14 years old, but there are children as young as five years old who are taken.
An estimated 13 million children are enslaved around the world today.
Sex trafficking can be found in a variety of places such as brothels, strip clubs, street prostitution, online escort services, sex tourism and brothels disguised as nail salons or massage parlors.
Florida for example has one of the highest reported incidents of human trafficking in the country.
It is one of the top three destinations in the United States along with California and New York.
Our voices are needed. This modern day slavery needs to stop.
If you believe you are a victim of human trafficking or suspect an adult is a victim of human trafficking, call the National Human Trafficking Resource Center at 1-888-3737-888.
If you suspect a child is a victim, call the Florida Abuse Hotline at 1-800-96-ABUSE.
