What is human trafficking?
Human trafficking is the business of stealing
freedom for profit. In some cases, traffickers
trick, defraud or physically force victims into
providing commercial sex. In others, victims are
lied to, assaulted, threatened or manipulated into
working under inhumane, illegal or otherwise
unacceptable conditions.
U.S. law defines human trafficking as the use of
force, fraud, or coercion to compel a person into
commercial sex acts or labor or services against his
or her will. The one exception involves minors and
commercial sex. Inducing a minor into commercial sex
is considered human trafficking regardless of the
presence of force, fraud or coercion.
adapted from the
National Human Trafficking Hotline
:
In California, commercial sex among people under age
18 has been decriminalized in order to divert youth
into child protective services.
Beginning in 2012, Los Angeles County developed a
Law Enforcement First Responder Protocol to better
address the needs of these youth.
