The Hidden Reality

The Hidden Reality of Child Sex Trafficking in America

When people hear the words human trafficking, they often picture overseas crime rings.

But exploitation happens here at home.

The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) received over 29,000 reports of missing children in 2022 through its case management system (NCMEC, 2022 Annual Report). While not all missing children are trafficked, research shows that runaway and homeless youth are at heightened risk for exploitation.

Polaris, which operates the U.S. National Human Trafficking Hotline, has identified thousands of trafficking situations within the United States. In its most recent data reports, Polaris documented cases involving minors across multiple industries, including sex trafficking (Polaris, 2021 U.S. National Human Trafficking Hotline Data Report).

The Department of Justice confirms that minors cannot legally consent to commercial sex acts under federal law, meaning any minor involved in commercial sex is legally considered a trafficking victim (U.S. Department of Justice, Office for Victims of Crime).

This is not someone else’s problem. It is a national crisis.

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Malerie Lujan