CBA Record

YLS Special Issue l PROTECTING OUR CHILDREN

By Jody Raphael

Combatting Trafficking for Sexual Exploitation Lawyers are Key

A s they are a hidden population in a clandestine and illegal industry, the number of victims of traffick- ing for sexual exploitation cannot ever be counted or ascertained. That trafficking exists cannot be doubted by the fairly large number of cases coming to the attention of law enforcement and the national Hot- line, and as awareness increases, in future years we can expect additional instances. Due to the hidden nature of the problem, it has become obvious that elimination of trafficking for sexual exploitation

cannot be achieved by law enforcement’s apprehension of traffickers alone. Hap- pily, the actions of private attorneys are effectively supplementing law enforcement efforts. Primarily, trafficking for sexual exploi- tation exists because of the demand for paid sex from customers. In addition to customers, there is an infrastructure that also profits from such trafficking and must also be dismantled. Parts of the infrastruc- ture include the Internet, used to advertise trafficked persons; hotels and motels used

by traffickers for assignations; and cab driv- ers who ferry traffickers and their victims. Finally, a culture currently exists that asserts prostitution is inevitable, which leads to the normalization of the practice of paying for sex and the belief that all prostitution should be legalized. These attitudes create an atmosphere of acceptance, allowing traffickers to operate with impunity. For years now I have been researching and investigating how this infrastructure operates and what legal tools can be used to dismantle it. A recent seminar sponsored

30 FEBRUARY/MARCH 2017