Sex trafficking in Minnesota: How to spot it, prevent it and intervene
Eleven people were arrested in St. Paul last month in a human trafficking scheme and four victims/survivors were found.
This isn’t an isolated incident. Human trafficking, including sex trafficking, happens all over Minnesota and affects people of all genders.
At least 5,000 Minnesotans between the ages of 15 to 19 years old have traded sex for something of value, according to data from the 2019 Student Survey.
That number could be higher because it doesn’t count teenagers who weren’t in school on the day of the survey.
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More than 20,000 ads are posted online in Minnesota each month to sell victims for sex, according to the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, a Division of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety.
MPR News host Angela Davis speaks with Minnesotans who work on sex trafficking prevention and intervention, and survivors.
If you or someone you know is in immediate danger of being trafficked, you can contact:
911 (in Minnesota, you can also text 911.)
The National Human Trafficking Hotline at 888-373-7888 (or text HELP to 233733)
Safe Harbor for sexually exploited youth
Guests:
Caroline Palmer is the director of Safe Harbor with the Minnesota Department of Health. Safe Harbor provides support and services to victims/survivors of human trafficking.
Shannon Rohne is the West Metro Regional Navigator with The Link. A navigator works to connect victims/survivors of sex trafficking with services they need. The Link is an organization in North Minneapolis that works with youth and families to overcome the impacts of poverty and social injustice.
Rachel Pearson is the commander of the Minnesota Human Trafficking Investigators Task Force with the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
Christine Stark is an award-winning writer, researcher and survivor. Her second novel called, “Carnival Lights,” won the Northeastern Minnesota Book Award for fiction and was a finalist for the Minnesota Book Awards. Her first novel, “Nickels: A Tale of Dissociation,” was a Lambda Literary Finalist. She’s co-author of, "Garden of Truth: The Prostitution and Trafficking of Native Women in Minnesota." She’s also a research fellow for the Villanova Law’s Institute to Address Commercial Sexual Exploitation.
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