The Trap

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Human trafficking takes many different forms. However it’s identifiable because there’s always some type of exploitation. Contrary to popular belief, it doesn’t usually involve criminal gangs or people being snuck across a border. One of the most brutal forms of human trafficking is prostitution controlled by pimps. This type of prostitution is characterized by violence, manipulation, and coercion in which the victim is the traded commodity.

Disneyland means a lot of international tourism for Orlando. The down side to that is the fact that Orlando has become the sex-trafficking capital of the United States.

In one well-known case, Richard Rawls a career criminal, wrote women in prison who had been arrested for prostitution, were about to get out and didn’t have any place to go. He told them all the things they wanted to hear. He made them believe that he would fill the void and become the love that they had been longing and searching for.

But once they reached his house, it was an entirely different story. It was another prison that they couldn’t leave alive. The story didn’t end with Rawls’ arrest. Investigation has shown that his case was merely part of a pattern of recruitment and exploitation all across the United States.

As the female prison population increases, these places are becoming the new hunting grounds for human traffickers. As soon as they are arrested and charged, women are becoming potential targets because in many states their information is immediately put online. This often includes mug shots, criminal records, release dates, and home addresses. Traffickers use this information like a catalogue from which they can pick out their victims. And within a few weeks, women begin to receive letters.

The prison bank account is a huge tool that recruiters use. In many states anybody can send money to inmates. This is a dangerous trap. Inmates admit that they’re happier when they have stuff, so even though they don’t particularly know the men sending them money, they enjoy receiving and using it because it beats the feeling of loneliness. Over a period of time, these women become loyal to the recruiters.

The deliberate targeting of women prisoners is widespread because the recruiters know that life can be hard for a felon. After prison, a lot of these women have no place to go to and a record that follows them around.

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