Sex trafficking in the United States.

Before join the sex trafficking group I don’t know about the sex trafficking in U.S. But
after joining the group I found so many problems about this. The United States is a
destination country for international trafficking: transportation of foreign nationals into
the U.S. for purposes of sexual and labor exploitation. The State Department estimates
that approximately 17,500 foreign nationals are trafficked annually in to the United States
alone. Victims brought to the U.S. originate from Asia, Latin America, Eastern Europe,
and Africa. Foreign national women and children brought to the U.S. for sex trafficking
find themselves forced to work in massage parlors, hostess clubs, commercially-fronted
brothels, residential brothels, escort services, and strip clubs.

Washington State is a hot bed for sex trafficking because of the major ports and the I-5
channel. Sophisticated criminal networks are smuggling thousands of people from around
the world into Washington—from Canada, through Sea-Tac Airport, through the Port of
Seattle, and along the I-5 corridor. The FBI coordinated a cross-country sting in February
2009, with local and federal law enforcement. Seattle was listed as the number one spot
for underage prostitution out of the 29 cities that participated. Key "track" areas in Seattle
where children and women are forced to work:

• 11th Avenue and East Pike Street
• 600 block of Thomas Street
• Aurora N. between 85th and 105th
• Aurora N. motels (court hearing in October 2009 to determine closing motels)

-Nisha