FBI: Ohio A Hotbed For Teen Sex Slaves
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Human Trafficking Bust
Teenage girls are being locked in the chains of sexual abuse and forced into prostitution?in Ohio.
Teenage girls are being locked in the chains of sexual abuse and forced into prostitution—in Ohio.
COLUMBUS, Ohio—Teenage girls are being locked in the chains of sexual abuse and forced into prostitution—in Ohio.
The FBI rescued 45 suspected teenage prostitutes on Monday—some as young as 13 years old—as part of a nationwide sweep, NBC 4‘s Mikaela Hunt reported.
Two of the cities involved in the rescue are Toledo and Cleveland. Officials said the bust highlights a growing problem.
Every year, 300,000 American children are at risk of becoming sex slaves. So how prevalent is teenage prostitution in Central Ohio and what’s being done to help the victimized girls?
FBI agents are trying to rescue kids who are caught up in prostitution—and Ohio is right in the middle of the investigation.
From the streets in Houston to Cleveland, Operation Cross County uncovered the trend of underage women forced into prostitution.
After the teenagers are processed, most of them are put into the custody of local child protection agencies. That’s where Gracehaven in Central Ohio comes in.
“We are getting calls already from out of state. They’re wondering if we can take girls in. It’s that desperate,“ said Cliff Treyens, a Gracehaven volunteer.
Treyens has been working with others to get a secure house built in Central Ohio for the teen sex slaves.
The FBI in Central Ohio said Toledo is currently a real hotbed for the activity, but hasn’t seen a lot of action in Columbus.
Treyens said it’s in Central Ohio—but it’s not on the radar of law enforcement.
“Our hope is that this will shed more light on what’s going on in Columbus and Central Ohio,“ Treyens said.
Gracehaven is still waiting to buy a piece of property and is looking for a cosigner to make that happen.
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Reader Reactions
I found this article to be something hopeful. I lost a friend many years ago due to teen prostitution. Unfortunately for her, the parents were partially to blame thanks to throwing her out on the streets since she ended up being a teen mother which was something they didn’t want to face. Sadly enough for my friend, she ended up being murdered and dumped in a dry creek bed at the young age of 16. I can only hope that for the kids trapped in this kind of life that they get out and find a better life.
This is a tragic issue which grows with educational systems problems such as drop outs, school expulsion, student and school failure, gang growth, etc.
Family disintegration, abuse and neglect, drug usage etc. It is also not limited to underage females but can extend to boys and children under puberty age.
In face of such global problems, what can be done?
Surely the effort to heal our economy, our social institutions, educational institutions, communities and families requires more than law enforcement to succeed. I am grateful, however, for the law enforcement efforts and the children’s protective services and the “sheltering institutions” efforts. I hope that the religious institutions are active as well.
Staying in school and working hard have nothing to do with this, doglover. These aren’t teens who choose to be sex slaves. They are victims, often who have been kidnapped, but most who have been forced into the sex trade business. this article address American children caught in the trade but thousands of children (as well as adults) are illegally trafficked into this country every year for the purpose of being sexual slaves.
Please, make an attempt to understand before making a judgment call. Making it illegal for kids to quit school isn’t going to change anything. It’s already illegal to sell a child or kidnap a child and force them to have sex for money. The purpose of articles such as this is to bring awareness.
If the state would push that no child can quit school and make them finish out in their hs and not just take a GED because they are pregnant or don’t want to attend hs.
If we keep preg and troubled teen in some kind of school program, they may realize what commitment is.
You don’t get anywhere in life without some hard work, studying or at work busting your buns to get somewhere in life.
The kids who give up and become teenage parents and dope individuals should be embarrassed for their actions. Dope and quitting school or quitting anything promotes failure down the road.
Keep continuing your education, it’s worth it and work hard for your dreams. Drug money and drug associates only leads to prison.
Castrating sex offenders doesn’t work. You don’t need to have a penis or scrotum to commit sexual assault.
I think the pimps and johns who get caught with these young girls and boys need to be castrated! Sexual perversion at it’s worst!
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