A recent three-month investigation in Washington County revealed that sex trafficking is a major issue, and the extent of the problem across the state is probably greater than we realize.
To get a better idea of the extent of certain crimes in Washington County, the major crimes unit tracked a variety of crimes from January 1, 2016 through the end of March. The three main crimes they analyzed were insurance fraud, retail crime and human sex trafficking. Researchers tracked the number of sex advertisements on Backpage.com over those three months and uncovered that there were 15,742 online solicitations in Washington County alone. Surprised by the extremely high number, the major crimes unit has decided to make fighting sex trafficking its main focus.
“A year ago, I didn’t realize how pervasive it is in this area,” said Washington County attorney Pete Orput. “To have 15,742 human beings for sale, that’s just astronomical.”
Twin Cities a Sex Trafficking Hub
The problem isn’t isolated to Washington County, it’s a problem throughout the Twin Cities. National sex trafficking data suggests that the Twin Cities metro area ranks among the top 15 areas in the United States for trafficking.
“The bottom line here is you can order a human being as easily as you can order a pizza,” Orput said. “That’s how easy it is.”
Sadly, oftentimes the victims don’t enter the trade by choice. Assistant Washington Country Attorney Imran Ali said pimps and solicitors prey on vulnerable teens at a low point in their life, and they don’t have the means to escape the cycle of physical and sexual abuse.
“What I have seen in four months is real,” said Ali. “The stories that (the victims) tell, the experiences they go through and the physical abuse … it is real.”
Members of the major crimes unit said they have learned a lot about sex trafficking in the area during the three month probe. They’ve also noticed some patterns, saying that ads for online solicitations seem to spike during periods of nice weather, on the weekends and during the holidays. They’ve also started to fight back, posting fake advertisements in hopes of drawing predators out from the shadows. 32 johns were taken off the street during the three month period, and so far 18 have been charged with a crime.
Helping victims of sexual abuse and trafficking is something we do on a regular basis. Attorneys and police realize that the victims are the ones being exploited for sex, and they shouldn’t fear coming forward. If you or someone you know is fearful about coming forward because of possible legal charges, contact a criminal defense attorney. We will ensure you aren’t punished for someone else’s actions.
