Make Payment
Call Today
(952) 913-1421
Call Today
(952) 913-1421

Sex Trafficking Victims or Prostitutes? The Truth Might Surprise You [infographic]

Sex trafficking victims are often arrested in prostitution stings and charged with a criminal misdemeanor or felony offenses because they are wrongly identified within the criminal justice system.

(Article continues below infographic)

______

Recognizing Sex Trafficking Victims

According to sex crime statistics in America, many people arrested for prostitution are victims of sexual exploitation by human traffickers. Teenagers and young people are very vulnerable to sex trafficking, especially if they are homeless and living on the streets. Studies show that 50 percent of homeless youth have engaged in survival sex, providing sex in exchange for food, shelter, and money. Young pimps commonly use fake romantic interests, promises of false jobs, and the lure of money and success to entice young people into a life of forced confinement and psychological coercion.

A recent FBI sex trafficking operation in California arrested 99 pimps and more than 650 adults for prostitution-related charges. They also rescued 84 minors who were sex trafficking victims including an infant and her 3-year old sister who were scheduled for sale to sex buyers for $600. A 2014 study on Minnesota sex trafficking for minors shows that sales often occur at hotels in Minneapolis suburbs, at sex buyers’ homes, and on streets with easy access to drivers, bus routes, and public parks. In the Twin Cities, victims are often sold or transferred to perpetrators through structured business operations like adult bookstores, strip clubs, massage parlors, and closed sex buyer networks found on the dark web.

To prevent arrests and criminal charges for sex-trafficking victims, the FBI and the federal government urge states to adopt Safe Harbor Laws that serve four important purposes:

  • Protecting minors against criminal charges for prostitution
  • Reclassifying minors as sexually exploited children or victims of sex trafficking
  • Routing sex trafficking victims from delinquency to supportive services
  • Providing specialized services for the sexual exploitation of children

By adopting or developing Safe Harbor Laws, states can also help adults who have fallen into prostitution through forms of coercion by pimps and sex traffickers. Cities must promote sex trafficking prevention to teenagers and youth through middle school and high school programs that outline recognition and dangers of pimps and coercion measures. Communities must develop programs that help people at higher risk of committing sex crimes or becoming sex trafficking victims due to personal or economic circumstances.

Max Keller image
Attorney Max Keller
Max Keller

Max Keller has won countless jury trial cases involving misdemeanors and felonies, sex crimes, and DWI’s. He is a member of the Minnesota Society for Criminal Justice, which only allows the top 50 criminal defense attorneys in the state as members. Max is a frequent speaker at CLE’s and is often asked for advice by other defense attorneys across Minnesota.

Years of Experience: Approx. 20 years
Minnesota Registration Status: Active
Bar & Court Admissions: State of Minnesota Minnesota State Court Minnesota Federal Court 8th Circuit Federal Court of Appeals State of Maryland

What to Do If You Have Been Charged with a Criminal Offense

Cinematic Court of Law and Justice Trial Proceedings. Cost of a Guilty Criminal Plea

The Surprising Cost of a Guilty Criminal Plea in Minnesota

Defendants in Minnesota may plead guilty or accept deals without understanding the hidden cost of a guilty criminal plea. A guilty criminal plea, regardless of how appealing it appears, can leave you dealing with substantial lifelong consequences. You may skip lengthy trial proceedings and likely get a lenient sentence, but end up with a criminal record. The record can lead to various financial and collateral consequences, including difficulty in securing employment, loss of housing rights, license revocation, and immigration issues.
Court of Justice Trial. Pre-Trial Motions Hearing

What You Can Expect at a Pre-Trial Motions Hearing in Minnesota

The pre-trial motions hearing is a court session you attend after your first arraignment. At the hearing, the prosecution and defense appear before a judge to clear several details about the case before trial. These details include pre-trial motions, evidentiary queries, and constitutional matters.
Man in handcuffs. Refusing Arrest vs. Resisting Arrest

Refusing Arrest vs. Resisting Arrest in Minnesota: What’s the Difference?

Highly publicized incidents of police using excessive force over the past few years have led to people wondering, “What’s the difference between refusing arrest vs. resisting arrest?” Resisting arrest in Minnesota occurs when you use force to prevent a police officer from making a lawful arrest. Refusing an arrest, on the other hand, involves statements or actions that show reluctance to cooperate with an officer’s instructions without using force.