Los Angeles County
Department of Public Health
Office of Women's Health
1000 S. Fremont Ave.
Building A-9 East, Unit #105
Alhambra, CA 91803
Phone: (626) 293-2600
Email: owh@ph.lacounty.gov
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.
from the National Human Trafficking
Hotline,
https://humantraffickinghotline.org/what-human-traffickingIn 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.
https://www.lacounty.gov/residents/public-safety/first-responder-protocol/
