Child Sex Trafficking
Child sex trafficking is a form of child abuse that occurs when a child under 18 is advertised, solicited or exploited through a commercial sex act. A commercial sex act is any sex act where something of value – such as money, food, drugs or a place to stay – is given to or received by any person for sexual activity. Traffickers target youth who lack strong support networks, have experienced child abuse or violence in the past, are experiencing homelessness, or are marginalized by society.
Examples of child sex trafficking are pimp controlled trafficking, gang-controlled trafficking, familial trafficking, and buyer-perpetrated trafficking.