Freedom Youth Project Foundation/ Think Freedom Campaign: A Closer Look at the Customers Who Buy Girls

June 20, 2011 - While media coverage of trafficking continues to focus on international victims, non-profit organizations like Traffick911, OATH (Oklahomans Against Trafficking of Humans) and Truckers Against Trafficking are educating the public about the alarming rate of Americans who are trafficked.

Another side of the story that's missing from media coverage is[...]

the demand side of human trafficking - otherwise known as "Johns." "Johns" are the people who are customers in different brothels and trafficking rings.

In a study by an Illinois Anti-Trafficking organization, they found that most "johns" were:

Over the age of 40
College graduates
Represented all races
Two thirds had a regular sex partner.

Looking at this profile of a typical "john," it's safe to say it could be anyone. They might lead an unassuming lifestyle, while they are taking place in the crime of human trafficking.
Samir Goswami, director of corporate responsibility for LexisNexis, said "arresting male customers is an option, but other ideas include publicizing names and pictures in print or on websites, charging fines of $500 to $1,000 in lieu of criminal penalties, and using electronic monitoring to ensure that men stay out of areas frequented by prostitutes"

These too are the men that we might see everyday. They are the ones keeping alive the business of human trafficking.

As we look deeper into the issue of human trafficking, there are many things that need to be done so that this global, complex issue can be resolved. We need to address legislation, training for law enforcement, training so that prosecutors understand how to prosecute traffickers, the "johns" who buy girls and we need to understand how treat victims.

Read the Full Story Here