10 Arrested for Running Child Sex Trafficking Ring in FL

July 25, 2011
 
Orlando, FL - Ten men between the ages of 22 and 29 years old were arrested and charged in Orange County, Orlando, FL for running a child sex trafficking ring. Most of the men had families and children of their own.  Some of them had violent pasts.

The underage girls that were bought and sold through their trafficking ring were mostly runaways and homeless youth coming from broken homes. The girls were forced to walk the downtown streets of Orlando in skimpy clothing. Traffickers drugged the girls prior to sending them out to the streets. Afterward they collected all the money the girls made.This story is not at all uncommon in our country - many children who flee from broken homes leave in search of something better on the streets. Instead, what they find is human traffickers waiting for them.


After several months of tracking down the men involved in the trafficking ring and after hearing testimonies from the victims, officials finally arrested them. It is believed that there are still several more men involved in this trafficking ring that, has since, fled the area.


These underage girls, some as young as 15, are victims of child sex trafficking in America. What is now an epidemic is called modern day slavery by many.  Child sex trafficking can be found in most cities across the United States. The young children and teens involved are not choosing this lifestyle; they are forced into it. In the case of the girls in Orlando, they were simply hoping for a better life. When they met their traffickers, the girls assumed they were trusted boyfriends and friends. (Read about how girls get manipulated and coerced into trafficking here)


Trafficking is not something anyone dreams of being a part of when they grow up. It is often presented as a thrilling, exciting life -- until child sex trafficking victims realize there is no way out. Law Enforcement encourages the public to stay alert about child sex trafficking in America -- realize it is happening right here, right now. Call the National Human Trafficking Hotline if you suspect trafficking. 

National Human Trafficking Hotline:
1-888-3737-888




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Sources:
www.clickorlando.com - 10 Arrested in Child Sex Trafficking Case

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