One of the Fastest Growing Criminal Schemes in the World

Sex trafficking is an important issue that occurs in our society every day, and unfortunately, there are many of us that have little knowledge of what sex trafficking and human trafficking is. Sex trafficking can be defined as illegally hiring, transporting, acquiring, or providing an individual for sex. It is believed that sex trafficking is something that only happens from one country to another, but many of us do not know that it happens within our own country. Technology has helped to spread sex trafficking so fast across the world, but it has also helped with the act of combatting sex trafficking.

Technology and digital devices have had a positive and negative impact in sex trafficking, both exposing children to sexual exploitation and protecting them from it as well.

The fact that the internet has become a big feature of sex trafficking today has caused a negative impact in combatting sex trafficking. Internet speeds have reached a record high rate which allows accessing the internet to become an easier task to do.

Pimps and johns have used computers to help them exploit women and children at a quicker rate. A common trap that pimps and johns use is setting up false profiles on Facebook and other websites to talk to young girls and females. According to Maras, “the internet, computers, and related technologies have facilitated prostitution and human sex trafficking through the trading, buying, selling, and renting and even advertising of human beings online for the engagement in sexual activities” (17). The use of sources such as VPN servers, sites, and devices are common for predators who are on the hunt for women and children.

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The special features of their equipment help predators remain hidden and not be seen as suspect for illegally trafficking helpless individuals. If predators continue to have access to equipment that camouflages them, combatting sex trafficking will continue to be at a disadvantage.

Technology can also have a positive impact, in relation to its negative impact. Sex trafficking has been around even before the internet was invented so taking away the internet will not automatically stop this crime. The internet is an important resource today that can help as a way to stop sex trafficking. Police have come up with the idea to set up fake advertisements online advertising sex from children and women to lure clients who may be interested in paying for sex. These clients are then arrested and in turn, this decrease the number of clients sexually exploiting victims. Ideas like these can turn technology against the predators rather than allowing them to use technology against victims.

Digital tools allow children to easily access sex trafficking websites which gives technology a disadvantage. Cell phones, laptops, tablets, and other devices are used every day by children across the world. According to a 2010 survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation, “most teens- 85% of those aged 14 to 17- have cell phones. So do 69% of 11-14-year-olds and 31% of kids aged 8-10” (Davis 1). It can be assumed that these numbers have increased, being that this survey was taken 9 years ago. Gamble quotes, “It is estimated that 50,000 sexual predators are online at any given time and that 50% of sex crimes committed against a minor involve a predator obtaining information and/or pictures from social media sites” (7). The children who are at greater risk of being sex trafficked are the ones who have little to no knowledge about the dangers of the internet. Most children are willing to make friends over the internet and predators take advantage of this, so they ask questions about the child to become their “friend”. Pimps use the questions against these children and become persuasive enough to make a child send photos in an inappropriate manner. Social media sites have now enabled location services on their apps making it easier for a predator to kidnap a child. The pimps gain money by using their digital devices to post pictures of the children on sex trafficking websites. Because of their advanced ability, digital devices have made a negative impact on the exploitation of children.

Although there are many forms of internet danger, sex and human trafficking have become the most danger ones. Children are being kidnapped every day, and they are being enforced into what is one of the largest present-day slavery problems. Sex trafficking will continue to be a very serious matter. Technology and other techniques can help the world to stand up against sex trafficking to end it. There are many beliefs that people are willingly selling themselves for sex or that sex trafficking is a form of prostitution. In reality, many of the people who are selling themselves are not doing it out of willingness, but rather are being forced by a pimp. Also, many women are poor or have nowhere to go so they cope with selling themselves in order to survive with their pimp providing them the essentials for life. There are many predators online and children are a significant risk for not knowing about internet danger. In order to keep children safe and prevent them from falling into internet traps, we must continue to advance technology in a safe and protective manner. Doing this will also eliminate the negative effects that technology has on sex trafficking, which in time, will help to reduce the risk of a trafficking incident to happen through the internet.