Review of April 22, 2015

Thriving Hidden Seattle Sex Trade Exposed
While Groups Work to Help Kids Escape
--Click HERE for video--

Reporter: Pete DeLaunay

Rotarians learned how hundreds of young women are lured into the sex trade by predator pimps who say they care, then trap girls as young as 12 years old into ‘the life’ of prostitution right here in Seattle/King County. Fellow Rotarian Mark Wright moderated a panel of experts from the criminal justice system and service providers who each explained why sex trafficking in Seattle and King County is a hidden problem not easily seen.

Paula Clapp founded a program called ‘Stolen Youth’ to raise awareness and funding for organizations that help children and youth escape their life on the streets as prostitutes. “It is the human rights issue of our time,” she said as she introduced the panel: Mar Brettmann, Director of ‘Business Ending Slavery & Trafficking’ (BEST), Dan Satterberg, King County Prosecuting Attorney and Noel Gomez, Co-Founder of the Organization for Prostitution Survivors.

As prosecuting attorney Dan Satterberg has seen a lot of misery. “Between 300 and 500 youth 18 years of age and younger are marketed for sex on more than 100 websites visited by 8,000 men every day in King County alone,” he said. “Although there is no way to arrest all the men who seek sex from minors online, we have increased their risk with penalties that range from a minimum of 8 months in jail and a $5,000 fine/donation to actual prison time if they go to trial.” His office focuses on four key groups:

1. Prostituted youth who typically are 13-14 years old need services not jail time;
2. Pimps or the men who manipulate young prostitutes with gifts, attention and ultimately violence;
3. Buyers - without them, pimps and prostitutes would not exist;
4. Businesses themselves where certain employees have no problem going on the internet at work for exploitation of sex with a minor later.

Noel Gomez, who left life on the street to counsel youth trapped in prostitution, said her journey began with a dysfunctional family, sexual abuse and pregnancy at 15 years of age. “My story is typical of the kids we see on the streets prostituting themselves for pimps,” she says. “The pimps can make up to $10,000 per day depending on the number of girls they manipulate.”

Mar Brettmann, Ph.D. left a career in academia to do something more meaningful by training businesses about ways to stop human trafficking in its tracks. Her organization, Businesses Ending Slavery & Trafficking (BEST) works with businesses from hotels, to IT, manufacturing, government and construction among others on their key role in prevention. “No industry is immune from human trafficking as 3 out of 4 young prostitutes say solicitation occurs from the workplace,” she said.

Typically the ‘buyer’ is an educated upper class white man. “They need to understand ‘buying’ a minor for sex is not okay,” the prosecutor said, “and they will go to jail as undercover police officers lure buyers with online sex ads for young women under 15 years of age.”

Ms. Gomez who counsels girls as young as 12 years of age says there are resources for victims of international trafficking, but few for children exploited here in the U.S. “I talk with girls all the time who want to get out but they don’t have a safe place to go,” she says. “We are working to create a ‘Safe House’ to help these girls leave ‘the life’ right now and feel secure.” Prosecutor Satterberg concluded by saying ‘we have the power to shape attitudes that prevent exploitation of young women in this way.'

President Tom opened the meeting with the day’s anthem led by Doug Tollerud, accompanied by Burr Stewart on the piano, and followed by Paul Ishii with a thoughtful ‘Earth Day’ invocation. Bret Anderson introduced new member, Mike Adams, of Adams Financial Concepts and a radio talk show host.