This morning, the issue of human trafficking in Las Vegas was placed on the hot spot. One article describes the problems of minor sex trafficking and prostitution in massage parlors in America's sin city. According to the article, the average age of minor sex trafficking victims is between 12 and 14. And, many sex trafficking victims from Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and other South Asian countries are forced into prostitution in massage parlors located in every corner of shopping malls. No doubt, johns and even average joe know that Las Vegas is the place for gambling and prostitution. After all, as prostitution is legal in Vegas, a john doesn't have to worry about getting caught. But, how bad is sex trafficking in Las Vegas?
Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking in Nevada
Shared Hope International conducted an excellent research on domestic minor sex trafficking in Las Vegas a few years ago. The research serves as a great tool showing the scope of the problem in Las Vegas. According to its fact sheet, over 400 prostituted children were identified on the streets of Vegas in May, 2007. Moreover, 1,496 domestic minor sex trafficking victims from 40 states were identified in the city between January, 1994 and July, 2007. Also, children who were pimped by their family members make up 30% of the total children who are commercially sexually exploited. What's more, 41% of the juveniles suspected of being involved in prostitution between January 2004 and 2006 had been sexually assaulted, and 21% of the juveniles were molested by their family member.
Prostitution in Massage Parlors
The number of massage parlors shows another aspect of sex trafficking that potentially involve foreign female victims in Las Vegas. According to an erotic massage parlor website, 93 out of 119 massage parlors are located in Las Vegas, alone. Also, 90 of the massage parlors located in Vegas are Chinese, 5 of them are Hispanic, and 3 of them are Asian. Moreover, 87 of them offer erotic hand massage service 38 of them offer oral sex, and 35 of them explicitly offer commercial sex.
The number of massage parlors in Las Vegas outnumbers those in other major cities around the United States. 84 erotic massage parlors operates in Los Angles, 64 in San Francisco, and 50 in San Diego. Also, the number of massage parlors in Las Vegas is greater than those in Atlanta (17), Georgia and Miami(34), Florida, where commercial sexual industry is relatively greater than others. Moreover, 38% of the massage parlors in Las Vegas advertise for offering prostitution, whereas only 3.8% of the massage parlors located in New York City explicitly offers sexual intercourse.
Should you legalize prostitution in Las Vegas?
Some parts of Nevada permits prostitution in certain brothels. But, legalization of prostitution does not help law enforcement catch the predators and rescue trafficked victims. If anything, it makes prosecution of sex trafficking more difficult to follow through. Let's face it. Suppose a foreign woman is trafficked and forced into prostitution at a massage parlor in Las Vegas. If prostitution is legal, law enforcement has no reason to operate undercover cop sting in order to evidence the solicitation of sex and discover human trafficking victims. Meanwhile, trafficked victims are neglected behind the curtains as they are mingled in the population of other prostitutes who are legally exercising their rights to sell their bodies to johns. Likewise, it is less likely that law enforcement will go after minor sex trafficking victims. Supposed a minor victim is 17,16, 15, or even 14 who dresses like and looks like older than their age. In such case, law enforcement is unlikely to identify these victims. If prostitution is legal in Vegas and they look like adults who consented to sell their bodies to johns, law enforcements have no incentives to crackdown on prostituted children.