Human Exploitation: The Unseen Billion-Dollar Industry

The first most profitable criminal enterprise in the world is cross border organized crime. This is an estimated $2.1 trillion dollar a year industry. Perhaps surprising, the second most profitable criminal enterprise in the world is human exploitation (Roman 2). This is an estimated $32-$115 billion dollar a year industry. In layman’s terms, human exploitation is simply slavery. Slavery is a huge problem in the world currently, but it is not a new one. It has been around since Biblical times. People from all over the world can be shipped into the United States, even right into the ports of Wilmington, North Carolina. Not only can women be shipped here, but women from our community can be trafficked as well. The community does not realize how

much of a problem sex trafficking has become in the Wilmington area. It is imperative for people to be made more aware of the sex trafficking problem that Wilmington is currently facing. One of the first things people need to know is what sex trafficking is. They should also know how women get involved and the negative effects that can occur. Once the community knows the basics of sex trafficking, then prevention can begin to take place and the victims can receive help. Through raising awareness of the sex trafficking industry and its devastating effects, the public can learn how they can help to prevent victims from becoming involved, and aid those who have escaped.
By becoming more knowledgeable about sex trafficking and looking at the statistics of the problem, people can begin to prevent it from happening in the community. Sex trafficking is modern day slavery forcing women to perform sexual acts for profit. These horrendous acts happen all over the world and most people do not comprehend how big this problem is. In 2000, the U.S. Congress enacted the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act. This act defines sex trafficking as, “the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision or obtaining of a person for the purpose of a commercial sex act,” (Muftic). Prostitution is often flippantly described as the oldest profession in the world, without taking into account the individual lives of women that it destroys. People need to look beyond the definition of sex trafficking and more at the women and what their potential could be.
While sex trafficking is not a new problem, it is becoming increasingly relevant. Human trafficking is one of the world’s fastest-growing crimes (Roman 2). It is everywhere in the world today and even in the United States. National statistics conducted by the federal government show that nearly 50,000 women and children are trafficked into the United States annually (Muftic). Most of these trafficking victims have two things in common. Data says that 80% of those trafficking victims are female and 70% are being trafficked into the sex industry (Muftic). To think the majority of the trafficking victims are from other countries would be incorrect. According to the U.S. State Department in 2010, more U.S. citizens were found in sex trafficking than in labor trafficking (Muftic). Surprisingly, the most common age found in U.S. females being sex trafficked was 18-years-old or younger. Locally in the state of North Carolina, there are also many eye-opening statistics. Since 2007, North Carolina had a high of 1,752 trafficking victims (“North Carolina”). Once again the age of the victims is alarming. Out of 181 cases North Carolina had of trafficking 57 of them were minors (“North Carolina”). Perhaps the age of the women is what makes sex trafficking such a heartbreaking crime. As President George W. Bush said in a speech, “trafficking is nothing less than a modern form of slavery, an unspeakable and unforgivable crime against the most vulnerable members of the global society.” It is obvious from the statistics that sex trafficking is a real epidemic and a threat to young girls and women in the country.
There are many different ways young girls and women become sex trafficking victims. The most rare way to become involved is through abduction. In an interview with Casey Roman, a Special Projects Reporter for WECT, she revealed that runaways are also common. Roman states that if people dug deeper into the missing persons cases reports and looked at the girls from the ages of 12 to 30, most would probably be in the sex trafficking industry, either from abduction or runaways. The next way is through poverty. Many young girls and women who come from poverty-stricken homes think there is no other way to make money. The mothers are the most tragic in this life since they are participants in order to provide for their families. This then can lead into long term prostitution, which is the highest form of sex trafficking in Wilmington currently. On the streets, the business of prostitution is known as “The Life.” The saying, “Street-walkers,” is the more commonly known term for prostitutes who work the streets. Here in Wilmington, the women normally walk between 23rd and Market to New Center and Market (Roman 2). Some of these women work alone, but most work for someone else.
The men who sell or solicit the women are known as either pimps or traffickers. They are both similar, with only one difference. Pimping is someone who is profiting from prostitution. Trafficking is coercion or deception is involved in commercial transactions (Roman 3). These women are so beaten down and tired of living this life they will take any kind of help from anyone. When the women meet these pimps or traffickers they are promised money and shelter and as soon as the woman agrees, her and her pimp or trafficker will leave town (Roman 3). Some people might ask why are the women not leaving? If a woman is lucky enough to escape or leave, then her pimp or trafficker will eventually always find her. Some pimps will often brand their girls with tattoos to claim her as his own, like property (Roman 2). This is an unfortunate truth in a former sex trafficking victim’s case, Taylor. Casey Roman interviewed Taylor in her “The Life” documentary. This statement does not make it so that you can summarize her interview and just document it once at the end of paragraph. Pick which parts of the interview are most pertinent and then add your commentary explaining what it shows?Taylor grew up in an unstable home life. Her mother was an alcoholic and never home, she would always bring around new and different men into Taylor’s life. Taylor’s father was not in her life. From a young age Taylor was basically an adult, taking care of her younger siblings. Those young years are vital in a child’s life for development, and Taylor did not get the opportunity to be a child. When Taylor was 14-years-old she was raped by her neighbor. This was when Taylor learned she could sell her body for money. In Taylor’s case and like many others, she began prostituting herself. Taylor was arrested for prostitution and when she was released she had nowhere to go and had no money. She then met a man who promised her that he would make finding clients and money easier and faster for her. Taylor agreed and as soon as Taylor agreed, they left town. Taylor worked up and down the East Coast. Her pimp would rent out hotel rooms for her. If she did not come up with the money for the room by the end of the night, he would beat her. Within 6 months Taylor estimated being with over 1,000 different men. Taylor was then moved into “middle management.” In this new role Taylor would have to become the trafficker herself. She would find other women and tell them about how great “The Life” was. If one those girls ever successfully escaped, the odds of her staying away willingly on her own are very slim. Cary Ramsay, the coordinator of A Safe Place, says the average amount of times a woman goes back to her pimp is 7 and the average lifespan of a woman once entering the life of trafficking, is also 7 years (Roman 2). Those averages are not a coincidence.
While working the streets is the main way for women to prostitute, there is a new avenue for prostitution on the rise. Social media has become the number one form of prostitution, surpassing prostitution on the streets. Some compare prostituting online to online shopping. The men are browsing, looking for the one they like the best, all like shopping (Roman 2). Posting online is very popular currently due to the convenience. It makes it easier for the women, they just post online and wait for a man to respond, opposed to walking up and down the streets. When an ad is posted it includes a name (normally fake), a brief description of the things the woman likes and does not like, pictures (which are also normally fake), and prices (Roman 2). The prices in an ad are disguised. They are not supposed to look like prices for purchasing a prostitute. Normally the price a woman is charging, is followed by the word kisses or roses (Roman 2). This process is not only easier for the women, but it is also easier for the men. The men just call the women, tell them what he would like to purchase, they agree on a location, and they meet there (Hicks). Presently in the world today social media is everywhere, making it even more difficult to see who is prostituting online. Lindsey Roberson, Assistant District Attorney, has said “some of these victims that we have had in cases that are minor victims are being exploited at night and going to school during the day and no one is the wiser, no one knows what is happening to these kids,” (Hicks). Some popular websites include, Sugardaddy, USA Sex Guide, and Backpages, which has recently been shut down.
Social media apps are becoming even more popular, like Facebook, Instagram, and KIK (Hicks). Pimps are also on social media. The pimp will prey on several different women at once, they look for ones craving attention (Hicks). The pimp will ask multiple questions, which may seem innocent at first but he is looking to see if anyone will notice if she goes missing. When a pimp has a woman hooked, he will start to show her ways he can provide for her, ways that she is not getting at home (Hicks). Pimps are very intelligent in this field, they know exactly what to do and say to make the girl fall for him. Physically, he will take her places and buy her nice things. Mentally, he will tell her that he loves her and wants to spend the rest of his life with her. This process is called “boyfriending themselves in,” (Hicks). These women are so vulnerable, they just want to be loved and desired by someone. Once the woman has fallen for the pimp and has completely trusted him, the pimp will start to physically and mentally abuse her (Hicks). The woman actually believes the pimp loves and cares for her. With this mindset the woman will not leave her pimp. The pimp will begin to telling her how they can make money together as a couple. This is how some women pick up the profession of prostitution, by social media.
Taylor’s story is similar to many others as well. Not only do the women need money, they also need drugs to survive. Most of the women who are involved in prostitution are there due to a drug addiction. The women get high to cover their hurt and pain from the life they are living (Roman 2). While the women are living this life, their profit and drugs are always a constant thought on their minds. The women begin their day by getting high. Most of the women cannot start their day or perform their job without having drugs in their system. If a woman cannot afford her drugs, she will often sleep with her drug dealer to pay it off (Roman 2). In an interview with Casey Roman, a Special Projects Reporter for WECT, she mentions “as of right now, the current drug in Wilmington is heroin.” Roman goes on to state that, “the previous main drug was crack.” Pimps, traffickers, and drugs are not the only problems these women face.
The negative effects of sex trafficking on victims is substantial.

Trafficking is recognized as a major health problem and tragic transnational crime (Muftic). Most people think the physical abuse from trafficking is the worst part about it. What most people do not know, is the mental abuse can be just as horrifying if not more. The women who are trafficked have poorer health outcomes, and more intense and prolonged psychological reactions to abuse than women who are not trafficked (Muftic). When a woman's sexuality is violently used or abused, it is far more damaging to her than words, fists, or any other abuse that could be heaped on her. It is an invasion of the essence of who they are. Women were reported having suicidal thoughts/attempts, feelings of anger/rage, depression, inability to feel, difficulty sleeping, self-blame/guilt, and loss of appetite (Muftic). These poor women have no idea what the trafficking life can hold for them, not just while being there but also after they have left that life. Casey Roman noticed a coping mechanism for some of the women. They will laugh off information or past memories, telling their brains that what is or was happening to them is not as bad as it really is (Roman 2). Most of these women in the life have actual disorders. In 2008, the United States Department of Health and Human Services identified the serious and complex mental health problems of sex trafficking victims. The disorders included, Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, anxiety and mood disorders, dissociative disorders, and substance related disorder (Muftic). The women might not even realize they have a disorder until they are out of the sex trafficking life and living in the normal world. It is evident that the mental effects take a negative toll on the women in sex

trafficking.
While the mental health effects take a toll on the mind, the physical effects take a toll on the women's bodies. The risk for violence is higher in girls who are sex trafficked than girls who are not (Oram). Not only do the pimps and traffickers physically abuse the women, but their clients can beat them as well. The less severe physical health problems include headaches, fatigue, dizziness, stomach and back pain, memory problems, and dental problems (Oram). The women who are new to the lifestyle of trafficking or prostitution, might have a hard time adjusting or cooperating. If this occurs, the woman will go through a process called “softening” or “seasoning,” this often includes repeated gang rapes until the woman has subjugated to the trafficker (Schauer). The more severe physical health problems are the ones that would require medical attention. These major problems include, broken bones, sprains, stab wounds, bruises, head injuries, oral and vaginal bleeding (Muftic). Some trafficking victims experienced extensive violent hardships. 6 out of 10 women have been threatened with a weapon. 7 out of 10 been physically assaulted. 6 out of 10 women have been raped or sexual abused. 5 out of 10 reported having a physical injury due to violence. 7 out of 10 reported having freedom of movement restricted (Muftic). There are not only external severe health problems, but internal health problems as well. Those problems would be sexually transmitted diseases/infections, like Hepatitis, Syphilis, HIV, and AIDS (Muftic). It is most heartbreaking when the women do not receive proper health care, due to limited access. The disease is even more tragic when it is affecting young girls. The odds of infection increased in girls 14-years-old or younger, than girls 18-years-old or older (Oram). Some women are not even aware they have a disease, due to lack of knowledge from isolation. It is known the clients or men who are buying the prostitutes are the primary carriers of the HIV/AIDS disease (Muftic). The women are vulnerable to these diseases from no birth control methods being used. If any form of birth control was used, it was mostly condoms (Muftic). It is sad and appalling to know that most men ask for no condom during sex. The more violence or injuries taken while being trafficked, means increase risk of anxiety, depression, and PTSD (Oram). It is quite obvious that mental and physical abuse go hand in hand. One does not occur without the other. The mental and physical abuse the women suffer through as trafficking victims, is usually a continuation of an abuse that occurred during their childhood. According to Casey Roman and Cary Ramsey, ongoing childhood abuse significantly increases the woman's chances of becoming a victim of sex trafficking.
It is imperative for the community to develop preventative strategies against sex trafficking in hopes it can be eradicated from the streets of Wilmington. First, people need to know what populations are targeted by pimps or traffickers. The woman's home life is normally awful enough to make her want to leave, unemployment, and economic and social oppression of women (Schauer). Typically, the pimps and traffickers are looking for women who are completely alone, no one would notice if they are gone, and women who barely have anything with them. The community also, needs to start stepping into the abused children's lives since they are normally the ones who go into sex trafficking later on in their lives. Casey Roman states that, “most people turn a blind eye to the problem, thinking it is not their problem until someone they know and love is in this life and cannot leave,” (Roman 2). Once the community knows who the traffickers and pimps are targeting, they can begin to learn the signs. In United States Government Statements claimed early on that sex trafficking was controlled by organized crime. Now they believe individual entrepreneurs and small organized groups are in control of most of the trafficking into the United States (Schauer). This makes it even more difficult to catch traffickers. Not only can they be a single trafficker, it can be anyone. Casey Roman mentions, “the pimps can be anyone. They are men with wives and children, men with a business. Typically a man you would never suspect,” (Roman 1). A common sign that most people, even police over look is when a pimp will have several women in the car with him going to meet clients. The pimps do this to pose normal to the police if they get pulled over, the police will innocently think they are all just friends hanging out (Hicks). Signs online are easier to spot. The ads women post on websites normally have signs of when the girl is being trafficked, which include the sayings of “one night only,” and “new to town,” the word donations, a warning that says “you are not affiliated with any form of law enforcement,” or if the woman mentions giving a “massage” (Roman 2). There are also signs the community can notice in everyday conversations. The signs include common work and living conditions, poor mental health or abnormal behavior, poor physical health, lack of control, and lack of knowledge of their surroundings (“About Project No Rest”). With most of the women seen walking on the side of the road are prostituting, the signs are more obvious. The women have a flirty style, playing with her hair, and walking back and forth between two locations (Roman 2). To know if a woman is prostituting for sure, watch for men either nodding their heads or pulling the car over. If the woman gets inside the car, she is prostituting (Roman 2). Third, the community needs to know where the basic locations are in Wilmington. Detective Evan Luther of the New Hanover County Sheriff's office said, “5 years ago prostituting use to be just on 5th Street Downtown.” Once the police started to focus on that area downtown, all the women moved to Market Street (Roman 2). Now, Market Street is where most of everything happens, drugs and prostitution. The hotels are a huge business for trafficking and prostituting. Most hotels here in Wilmington are aware of the activity that takes place there and will not do anything about it. They see it as business and making more money (Roman 2). Fourth and finally, the community should be more aware of the laws set in place to prevent trafficking from happening. The community should also look into creating more prevention laws and making the current laws stricter. As of right now, in North Carolina buying a prostitute is considered a misdemeanor (Roman 2). As long as the women still have a demand, in this case the clients buying them, they will continue to prostitute. The state of North Carolina should work towards making that law a felony. North Carolina also has a protection act for trafficking victims. It is the General Assembly of North Carolina, Bill 683, it states “this is an act to create a safe harbor for victims of human trafficking and for prostituted minors. Modify the membership of the North Carolina human trafficking commission, and provide for parole consideration of certain inmates sentenced under the fair sentencing act,” (Apodaca). Naturally, with the community knowing the targets, signs, locations, and the laws that need to be set in place, the community can begin to prevent sex trafficking.
Once the women are out of the trafficking life, they will need somewhere to go. This is when the community can come together to make more programs for the women and to strengthen the current organizations. Wilmington use to have the NHC Streetwalker Program, it has since been shut down due to funding (Roman 2). When the women leave the life they have a hard time staying away. Being trafficked and prostituted was their routine everyday, so the women struggle adapting to everyday, normal life. The women with the drug addiction have it even worse with trying to find and commit to an affordable, long-term drug treatment (Roman 2). The A Safe Place organization is a prevention, advocacy, and restoration program for sex trafficking victims here in Wilmington. Most of the programs information is kept secret due to the high risk of traffickers or pimps coming back for their women. A Safe Place does house the victims in a secret location, they provide health and mental treatment, and they provide them with jobs for financial support. Another prevention program here in North Carolina is Project No Rest. Project No Rest’s mission is to increase awareness and prevention about human trafficking and how it affect the children and young people in North Carolina. Hopefully in the near future, the Wilmington community can begin to create more prevention agencies in the area.
In conclusion, through raised awareness of the sex trafficking industry and its devastating effects, the public can learn how they can help to prevent victims from becoming involved, and aid those who have escaped. Firstly, the community will know the overview of sex trafficking and what it really is. Secondly, the community will know of the problem here in Wilmington, with how the women are involved and the negative effects. Thirdly, the prevention tactics and information for the community. Fourthly, the community will be informed on how they can aid to the sex trafficking victims here. Finally, if the Wilmington community can come and work together, we can begin to make sex trafficking cease to exist in the community and maybe in the world.