Why Are Children Arizona's Most Profitable Tourist Attraction?

Are American kids really being sold for sex in Arizona? According to a new report on domestic minor sex trafficking released by Shared Hope International, they sure are. But despite significant problem, anti-trafficking advocates are tackling child sex trafficking in the Grand Canyon state with innovative techniques. And you can support their efforts by telling Arizona lawmakers to stop letting men who buy sex with kids off the hook.

In 2006, the horrifying exploitation of one Phoenix girl, now commonly known as the “dog crate case,” prompted community members and city leaders to rally against those selling children for sex.  The 15-year-old girl was found after being held captive for 42 days in a Phoenix apartment. She was repeatedly forced to have sex with buyers, tortured by threats of violence and gang rape, and imprisoned in a dog cage. Her innocence was sold for $100 to buyer after buyer who responded to ads posted on the Internet.  When police officers discovered the victim, she was stuffed into an 18-inch wide by 18-inch deep hollowed out box spring beneath a bed frame.  Six individuals were sentenced to prison for their involvement her victimization.

Unfortunately, this shocking level of victimization is not an isolated incident. The report documents story after story of young girls targeted and victimized by traffickers. Sergeant Chris Bray of the Phoenix Police Department Vice Unit estimates there are approximately 100-150 traffickers in the greater Phoenix area who have victimized at least one underage girl each.  According to a study conducted by researchers from Arizona State University (ASU) in conjuncture with the City of Phoenix Prosecutor’s Office and Catholic Charities, the average age of entry into prostitution in Phoenix is 14 years old.

Phoenix is not happy that they are considered to be one of the worst cities for child sex trafficking in America, and they are striking back aggressively against the pimps.  The report states, since 2005 the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office has tried over 90 cases of traffickers.  However, due to a lack of protective shelter options, the victims continue to be arrested and detained.  There are two shelters in the works, Streetlight and Natalie’s House, but a lack of finances is delaying the opening of both facilities.

But experts have said that no city is exempt from sex trafficking, and local organizations in Phoenix are to be commended for tackling this issue head on.  In fact, Maricopa County Superior Courts provided a grant to local groups and filmmakers to create Bait and Switch, a twenty-five minute video that exposes the terror and tragedy of child trapped in prostitution.  The innovative video includes interviews with a convicted pimp, a former victim of sex trafficking, and an undercover sergeant who expose the reality of sex trafficking in Phoenix.  It's being used to educate students across the state in hopes that it will raise awareness of potential risks and help young people avoid the traps and tactics used by traffickers.

This aggressive campaign to raise awareness for youth and hold pimps accountable is clearly making an impact.  The message is getting out to traffickers that Arizona is high-risk, meaning that if they get caught, they’re going to do time.  But what about the men who are buying the children?  The report reveals that in four years only 5 buyers of commercial sex with minors have been prosecuted in the state of Arizona.  Law enforcement have identified a gap in the state law (A.R.S. 13-3212) that leaves the door open for “first-time” child predators who buy children from pimps to get only 90 days in jail.  Take action now and demand that the law be changed to protect children, not the men abusing them.

Photo Credit: Velvet Lady