Customers: The Invisible Component of Sex Trafficking Made Visible

 BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking (DMST) is comprised of the sellers (traffickers), buyers (customers) and product (victims). In 2010, despite the designation by the federal TVPA that any youth under 18 involved in the commercial sex industry is a victim, the FBI reported 112 males and 542 females arrested for prostitution and commercialized vice. Conversely, according to 2011 data on human trafficking cases, the U.S. Department of Justice had a combined 125 prosecutions. To address sex trafficking, more information is needed on the customer base. This presentation will address the following themes: 1) Characteristics of buyers who purchase sex 2) Buyers of Victims involved in sex trafficking through manipulation 3) Buyers of victims trafficked by force 4) Reported demographics of those who purchase minors for sex 5) Venues where sex is sold. 

METHODS: A quantitative, cross-sectional design was used in this study. Descriptive statistics, chi-square, and t-tests were conducted. Respondents were recruited through respondent driven sampling. Data collectors located in the Ohio cities of Cleveland, Cincinnati, Columbus, Dayton and Toledo were required to know at least two individuals currently involved in the commercial sex industry. Individuals over the age of 16 reporting involvement in the commercial sex industry in the past year were eligible for participation. The survey was available on-line and accessed at local public libraries. The initial seeds completed the survey and received five coupons to provide to their peers involved in the commercial sex industry. Peers who took the survey were then paid and received five coupons to provide access to social networks, where respondents continued to distribute coupons to individuals involved in the industry.

RESULTS: Of the 328 respondents, 115 (35%) reported involved in the sex trade prior to age 18. The most common purchaser of victims was middle aged and older Caucasian (34%) and African American (43%) males. Professionals were reported to purchase sex more frequently from those under and over 18 forced into the sex trade as 44% reported being sold to law enforcement, 40% to businessmen, 36% to lawyers and truck drivers, 32% were sold to drug dealers, managers and professional or semi-professional sports players and 24% were sold to politicians. Victims involved in sex trafficking through manipulation reported being purchased by law enforcement (46.5%), businessmen and drug dealers (37%), lawyers (32.6%), truck drivers (30%), managers in professional positions and factory workers (28%), military men (26%), teachers (23%) and Government Employees (21%).

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: These findings are significant to target demand and suggest that adult men in legitimate occupations are the most common purchasers of DMST victims. Suggested further steps include research to understand risk factors for purchasing sex from victims to develop appropriate prevention and intervention strategies. In addition, comprehensive education on victimization for boys and young adult men is needed. Policy initiatives should seek to enforce existing laws related to purchasing sex and additional legislation should be implemented to further protect victims.