Many women in this industry are adults however there is a growing number of minors being forced into what essentially amounts to modern slavery. A few weeks ago police rescued a 14 year old girl in New York who had run away from home and ended up being locked up by pimps and sold for sex. She eventually was able to call 911 and alert the police.
Police around the country, for the first time, are looking at this illegal industry from a business model standpoint. The basic law of capitalist economics is supply and demand, and if it is too difficult or ineffective to eliminate the supply, then perhaps eliminating demand is the way to go. The focus for law enforcement has shifted somewhat from the prostitute to the customer.
It is estimated that 15% of American men have purchased the services of prostitutes at least once in their lifetime and based on national statistics a man has a 1 in 100,000 chance of being arrested while trying to or successfully purchasing sex. If police focus on this customer base, demand will decrease and based on the business model, the supply will as well.
The men purchasing sex are the ones truly driving this industry, and they must be held accountable for their part in the proliferation and continuation of this in our society.
Thoughts?