Domestic Sex Trafficking in the U.S.
A story of domestic sex trafficking in the U.S.
July 14, 2008— -- On Wednesday, July 16, Cynthia McFadden takes a rare look inside the dark and violent world of domestic sex trafficking, where American teens are being lured and sometimes kidnapped into sexual slavery by pimps.
It's a problem hidden in plain sight that touches every community in every corner of our nation. The FBI's five-year Innocence Lost Initiative has led to the conviction of 308 individuals on a combination of state and federal charges, and has led to the recovery of 433 child victims, but it's still difficult for most Americans to believe their children are at risk.
Watch "Primetime: Crime" Wednesday at 10 p.m. ET
"There are children throughout the United States who are being sold as prostitutes," said FBI special agent Mike Beaver. "It's not uncommon to see 12- and 13-year-olds out. What we've learned is if you have adult prostitution in an area, there's probably child prostitution occurring as well. So it's more of a black market; it's more underground, but it's there."
The FBI estimates that currently there are 100,000 minors in America being forced to trade sex for money. Pimps target the most trusting or vulnerable teens to fill out their stable of working girls, often ignoring their ages.
"Primetime" cameras gained exclusive access to the story of two young victims. Teen cousins Carol, 14, and Kimberly, 15, were on their way to buy milkshakes when they were kidnapped on Toledo, Ohio's, Main Street and forced into a world that demanded sex with men for money.
Viewers will hear firsthand of the terrifying abduction, the militaristic training and period of seasoning, and eventually the dramatic rescue of one cousin and the terrifying journey to save the other. Federal and local authorities explain how these pimps operate loosely held networks, from typical residential communities to the nation's highways.
Watch interviews, 911 calls, interrogation videos, and a truck-stop sting operation as "Primetime" examines the unimaginable world of domestic sex trafficking.