Sex trafficking is a form of human trafficking which is modern day slavery. Human trafficking involves the use of force, fraud, or coercion to obtain some type of labor or commercial sex act. Every year, millions of men, women, and children are trafficked worldwide. Sex trafficking can happen in any community and affects victims of various socioeconomic backgrounds, ages, race, gender, or nationality. Traffickers gain control of their victims via violence, manipulation, false love, and false promises of a better way of living. Human trafficking is considered a hidden crime because many times there are language barriers, threats of harm to family, and fear of law enforcement to where victims of sex trafficking are kept silent.
Houston is a major hub of sex trafficking as brothels run rampant in various communities throughout Houston that are disguised as a “massage business”. Houston is known to have various “cantinas” where buyers purchase a drink and a girl to where the buyer is led to a separate building to engage in the sexual act. Popular prostitution tracks are many in various areas throughout Houston. Sex trafficked victims are expected to meet a “quota” each night to bring back to their traffickers.