Sex Trade: Innocence Lost in America's Heartland

CBN ^ | Friday, May 28, 2010 | Heather Sells

[GonzoII]

TOLEDO, Ohio -- For years, Americans have watched international reports of human trafficking thinking it couldn't happen here. But now, researchers are finding more and more domestic cases and not just in the big cities or the border states. They're in the heartland.

Shared Hope International, a Christian anti-trafficking organization, reports that up to 300,000 children in the U.S. are at risk for trafficking each year. Twelve years old is the average age of entry.

"Men are buying younger children," Shared Hope founder and former congresswoman Linda Smith said. "They're buying more violent acts with the children and those children aren't willingly saying 'I want to be prostituted.' Now we're seeing 9, 10, 11-year-olds. Eleven years old is common--snatched from a middle school, lured through a mall or online."

[MrEdd]

It's the same with the child sex trade. I'm sure it "happened" somewhere - but was it all over like it is today?

Yes it happened all over like today. What is different now is that the internet coverage of pedophelia has removed the old media's ability to simply not report it.

Much like they were unable to succesfully portray our troops in the middle east the same way they did with our troops in Viet Nam back in the 60s and 70s.

[Ronaldus Magnus]

Thank you for providing some needed context from the land that many people here in the US hold up as an example we should follow. Please don’t take this for anything but the compliment I intend it to be, but you sound like you would make an excellent American!

[Ayn And Milton]

Thank you for the compliment! You made me blush... which does not happen that often in an internet conversation.

There is a thin line between decent federally initiated activites, such as some form of census (as in: minimally necessary information to base future planning on), and violation of basic human liberties.

I hate to say this: but I am worried that in the leading of all free nations on this planet, the scales of the balance are tipping towards the ‘bad side’...

But on a lighter note: I am honoured by your compliment!