More than 13, people are estimated to have been victims of sex trafficking in Sacramento County from , according to a recent study. The analysis suggested that a majority of victims may go unidentified. There are KCRA 3 Investigates spent months investigating the issue by speaking to victims and their advocates, law enforcement and legislators as part of our documentary "Escaping the Blade. Here are terms that are important to know about sex trafficking in Sacramento County and across the country.
The Blade is a term that describes an area known for prostitution. In Sacramento, there are two blades. Federal law describes sex trafficking as when "a commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud, or coercion, or in which the person induced to perform such act has not attained 18 years of age. The Department of Justice says coercion could be "subtle or overt, physical or psychological.
Many have an image of young girls being kidnapped right off the street and sold as a sex slave. That happens but it is very rare. On many occasions for women, it begins during a relationship. A teenager or young woman starts falling for man who they believe is there to protect them. At some point though he convinces her to start selling her body for sex.
There is a continuum that varies between people who enter prostitution and trafficking situations voluntarily to completely nonvoluntary situations. For example, some may enter the sex trade voluntarily but then face threats of violence if they don't meet a quota.
Also among the situations are when people's financial situations or possible homelessness lead them to enter the sex trade, or when someone is tricked into being recruited for one job but then is made to sell sex.
