Every year, at least 100,000 children around the world are recruited into a life of forced sex. In Maryland, the average age of entry into prostitution is 12, and thousands of young people are at risk of becoming involved in the sex trade. The state is hoping to change that by developing a more systematic approach to how it recognizes victims of sex trafficking.
One part of doing that was to create the ‘Maryland Human Trafficking Task Force,’ comprising federal, state, and local law enforcement, as well as people who work to provide services to victims.
In November, Sheilah spoke with two members of the task force: U. S. Attorney Rod Rosenstein, whose office coordinates the task force and Amelia Rubenstein, the team leader of the anti-trafficking program at the non-profit TurnAround, which works with survivors of gender-based violence.
A recent report from the Urban Institute examines the underground sex economy in eight major US cities, including Washington, DC.
