The latest report of Sex Trafficking here in America was just released through Shared Hope in Washington D.C. 10 cities in America were assessed in this report including Dallas to our South and Kansas City to our North.

The key finding of this report on domestic trafficking in America is"Misidentification of Victims". Misidentification causes a chain reaction of negative outcomes that re-traumatize or even criminalize the victim while the trafficker walks free.

This occurs at all levels: First Responders / Law Enforcement / Homeless & Runaway Shelters / Court Adjudication / Social Services / Medical Clinics

Misidentification can be remedied only through awareness and education. See full report at our recent articles section below on right side.

At truck stops all across the nation young girls, as young as 11 and 12 are working what is known as the "Party Row"... the back row of a truck stop. The two busiest hyways in the country, I-35 and I-40, cross at Oklahoma City, bringing with them lots of truckers and lots of young girls being prostituted to men 3 and 4 times their age. Police patrol the lots several nights a week, sometimes sitting in front of party row to discourage illegal activity. However, the only way for an arrest to be made or a girl rescued is if the officer actually sees the sex act or money changing hands.

Many ask why a girl would keep doing that... why wouldn't she just get away from her trafficker? But it is not that easy... threats and phychological conditioning by her pimp keep her under his control. See article for more information and read stories of girls from Oklahoma caught up in this abusive lifestyle.

A 29 year old Tulsa man traveled 130 miles to Carthridge, Missouri to meet what he thought was a 13 year old girl that he had been communicating with online. It was not a real girl, but undercover internet crime operatives posing as a girl to lure predators out. The Tulsa man has no previous convictions or sex crimes on his record, yet he took duct tape and a loaded gun to meet her. See news report at "Recent Reports".

Experts say that Houston has more problems with child sex trafficking than any other city in our nation. Oklahoma's close proximity to Texas and the I-35 corridor connecting us relates in traffickers passing though our state and our cities with victims. See news report: http://www.khou.com/news/local/houstonmetro/stories/khou090410_mp_sex-trade-warning.c0e77435.html

A child is reported missing every 40 seconds in America. That is 2000 per day or 800,000 per year... and an estimated 500,000 are not reported. In 1999, a report by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children revealed that 1,682,900 youth were runaways or throwaways. A new report by the Department of Justice shows evidence that 300,000 of these children are at risk each year of commercial sex trafficking. This is not a minor issue in our society... it not just the poor or minorities, it is not just troubled kids... we have an epidemic of child abuse that must stop.

That according to the FBI for 2008. If you look at Craigslist today for Tulsa and Oklahoma City you will find 735 adds of young women being sold for sex. It is no longer a distant problem! It is right here in our own backyard. Not all of those listed on Craigslist are minors, but when underage girls are offered for commercial sex it is a federal violation of child sex trafficking punishable by 20 years to life in prison. Children are not prostitutes... thay are a commodity of perverse men that drive this market. See Fox News report by Tulsa correspondent Abbie Alford: http://www.fox23.com/content/solvingproblems/story/Online-Sex-For-Sale/GwqPO79BNE2vU6RWF39J4w.cspx

A University of Pennsylvania report on Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children in America notes:
- Over 1 million children are currently involved in sex trafficking in US
- Half the children in America involved in sex trafficking are African-American (US born citizens)
- Poverty is the main driving issue, but many also come from middle-class families
- Child sexual abuse is currently the least frequently reported abuse in America
- 47% of child sexual abuse confirmed cases were committed by a family member, 49% by a friend of family, only 4% committed by a stranger
- 1/2 of all reported sex abuse cases are of children 12 or younger, 1/3 of all rape cases
- Greatest age of risk for females is 14, drops to half the peak at age 17, and 1/5 the peak by age 27
- Over half of those rescued from sex trafficking admit to being physically or sexually abused before leaving home
- Most runaways are female, between the ages of 11-17 years old
- Traffickers use other children already involved to invite and trap victims
See the full report on our Recent Articles Link section