Child Sex Slaves in the ATL

FROM THE EDITOR — THE FOLLOWING STORY IS A TRUE ACCOUNT, WITH NAMES CHANGED IN ORDER TO PROTECT THE INNOCENT. I URGE YOU TO READ WITH AN OPEN MIND AND LOVING HEART AS YOU TRAVEL DOWN A JOURNEY, ONE OF THE MULTITUDES OF STORIES, RESULTING FROM THE HORRENDOUS SEX SLAVE TRADE HAPPENING RIGHT NOW ALL AROUND YOU — WITH ATLANTA BEING A MAJOR HUB AND EPICENTER OF DESTRUCTION.

While strolling his Facebook wall one night, Alex (age 14) noticed that a new person “HipHop16” was “liking” many of his posts about rap music and girls, and even some of his recently posted pictures. He clicked on HipHop16’s profile and noticed that they had a lot of stuff in common, so Alex liked some of his posts in return. The next day after school, Alex noticed a friend request from HipHop16 and accepted. Over the next two weeks the two continued to like each other’s posts, pictures, and chat on messenger. HipHop16 seemed to share a lot of the same interests as Alex. It seemed they could talk about everything—even the problems Alex had with his single mother. 

Alex didn’t see a problem with HipHop16 being a little oder at 18, it was only a few years older, he had even began to view him as a “big brother.” HipHop16 gave him advice about peer pressure and the importance of being a ‘big  boy’ for his mother, making him feel as if he finally had a positive male role model, and caring relationship. HipHop16 told Alex how much he admired him because he had a mother in his life, revealing how his own mother was an addict and abandoned him at 11, he never knew his father and ended up living with his uncle. He shared that he didn’t do well in school, so he was getting his GED. This was great because it let him hag out and go to parties, instead of having to get up early for school. Alex began to view the life his ‘big brother’  lead as fun and exciting.

Alex finally got the chance to met HipHop16 at the movies one Friday, after telling his mother he was going with some classmates. HipHop16, not looking his true age of 23, impressed Alex with his Jordan gym shoes, Polo shirt, Michael Kors watch, and name brand jeans. After the movie, HipHop16 offered Alex a ride home and told him to tell his mother he was riding home with one of his friends from school. On the way home, HipHop16 asked him did he mind stopping at a “kick back” and he excitedly said yes. Alex was excited to ride in the 2015 Challenger HipHop16 drove, and when he saw all of the girls that were at the kick back,” smelled the weed, and saw people taking shots of alcohol, he knew this was the life he wanted to live, especially since it reminded him of the rap music he listened to. When Alex got home, his mother didn’t ask any questions and Alex couldn’t wait to post how much fun he had hanging out with his ‘big brother’.

The next day, HipHop16 messaged Alex and asked him did he have fun. Alex couldn’t stop talking about how he liked hanging out with him, how much he liked his car and the way he dressed, and how he was so much cooler than his friends at school and in the neighborhood. HipHop16 told Alex that he too could have the clothes and shoes he had, and would even give him a pair that he didn’t wear.

The next weekend, HipHop16 invited Alex to hang out with him again, this time it was at the mall. When Alex asked his mother could he go  with his friend, again she didn’t mind, didn’t ask questions and was glad she didn’t have to drop him off, and he would be getting out of the house. When HipHop16 pulled up in his Challenger, she asked whose car and Alex simply said, “oh that’s big brother’. Not paying much attention, she assumed it was his friend’s big brother.

HipHop16 took Alex to Lenox Mall, far from Decatur—scales above the familiar South Dekalb Mall Alex knew. When they arrived, Alex was in awe. And, when HipHop16 treated him to a new pair of Jordan’s and True Religion jeans he couldn’t believe how lucky he was to have met such a cool big brother. HipHop16 warned Alex that his mother might have questions about the stuff he bought so he should tell her that the clothes and shoes were gifts because they were too little for him, and because he lost the receipt, he didn’t want to let them go to waste.

After they left the mall, HipHop16 took Alex to another kick back, which had even more people than the first one. Before getting out of the car, HipHop16 told Alex that it was cool for him to have fun and do what everyone else was doing. He promised he would have his back, and won’t let anything bad happen.

As they walked inside, the music was blasting and the air was thick with weed smoke. Alex followed his big brother into the kitchen and noticed some people sniffing white powder off of their hands in the corner. As HipHop16 handed him a cup of beer, he also noticed bottles of cough medicine and a bowl of pills on the table. Alex liked the way his ‘big brother’ took care of him and which made him feel safe. He also liked the way the women were flirting with his ‘big brother’ and thought how he wanted to be cool like him.

While walking down the hall to the bathroom, Alex noticed some people go in one of the bedrooms and when he peeped inside, some were having sex and others were performing oral sex on each other. When he came out of the bathroom, he found HipHop16 talking to a guy. He told them what he had seen. They laughed at Alex and asked him had he ever kissed a girl or let a girl go down on him. When Alex told them no, HipHop16 told him that tonight was the night he was going to become a big boy.

HipHop16 pulled one of the girls from the kitchen and whispered something in her ear. She walked up to Alex and led him 

outside. When they walked back inside, Alex had the biggest smile on his face. He had kissed a girl for the first time, and an older girl at that. The girl told HipHop16, “your boy a good kisser and I even could feel him get a little aroused.” They all laughed, and HipHop16 gave Alex a high five—he felt like he belonged. Alex’s mother did ask about the new clothes, and he explained that his new ‘big brother’ got them for him and without concern, she welcomed the help of this new friend’s family.

Over the next week, HipHop16 questioned Alex about his first kiss, asking him how it made him feel. Alex knew he couldn’t talk to his mother about this, so he started sharing with his ‘big brother’ about his wet dreams and erections  he got when he saw certain things on television. Pretty soon, HipHop16 started texting Alex videos of people having sex— men and women, men and men, and adults with children.

The next week, HipHop16 texted Alex that he went to the Polo outlet at Tanger  and bought him some shirts and Polo underwear. He said he would pick him up from school so he could give them to him, and to tell his mother he was going to his friend’s house after school to work on a group report. The next day, his ‘big brother’ was at his school and when Alex’s friends saw the car his ‘big brother’ drove. They also thought he was cool and wanted to meet him. When Alex walked them over, they ooed and awed at the car and chain hanging around HipHop16’s neck.

Instead of taking Alex home, HipHop16 told him he needed to stop by his place first. When they arrived, he directed Alex to bring his clothes so he can try them on, make sure they fit right. Once inside, he asked Alex had he ever had some alcohol. Alex said he tried some at his cousin’s house, but that was the only time, aside from the beer he had at the first kick-back. HipHop16 went into the kitchen and brought back a bottle of Hennessy and two shot glasses. He told Alex they were going to toast to his first kiss and his new clothes.

Alex almost gagged with the first shot and HipHop16 explained that it would get easier the more he drank. He stepped out of the room and came back with a blunt. He then explained that he was waiting for a friend, and he could smoke a little with him until the friend arrived. While Alex practiced smoking, HipHop16 turned on the television and tuned to some porn. As the movie started, he poured Alex another shot, 15 minutes later, Alex was feeling the effects of the alcohol, weed, and porn.

Once Alex was totally inebriated HipHop16 handed him the bag of clothes, telling him he wanted to make sure the underwear fit right, and to come back into the room so he could see for himself. Staggering, Alex did as he was told and when he came back into the room HipHop16 pulled him close, rubbing his legs and thighs, assuring him he was only checking to see if they fit right. He then asked Alex did he want to know what it felt like for a girl to go down on him like in the porn. Alex shrugged his shoulders, not sure what to say or what was going on with his big brother right now. As he drove Alex home he told him that he would never do anything to hurt him and he would always take care of him. He told him that he would always make sure he had new shoes and clothes if he kept what they did a secret.

When Alex got home, his mother noticed that he seemed a little off and when she asked what was wrong, he just told her he was tired. He went straight to his room and laid in bed confused. He wondered what he did wrong, and remembered his big brother telling him that there was nothing wrong with letting him kiss him “there.” Plus, it didn’t make him gay because they weren’t really having sex. The next morning, while Alex was getting ready for school HipHop16 texted to ask how he was feeling. Alex texted back,”ok.” HipHop16 replied, “Cool!” Btw—I bet you will look boss with that Polo on today!”

Over the next month, HipHop16 continued to perform oral sex with Alex. Threatening  if he ever told anyone, he would put pictures on Facebook about what they did. The first week of summer break, HipHop16 took him to anther kick back. This time when they pulled up, HipHop16 told Alex that he wanted to start giving him his own money instead of buying him stuff, but before he could do that, he would have to do the same stuff they did with some other guys, starting tonight. By the month of July, Alex was having sex with men in local hotels. His mother, too involved with the struggles of being a single mother, didn’t notice the changes in his behavior. She was just glad  Alex had a ‘big brother’ to look up to.

Who are the Traffickers?

Traffickers seek youth that lack a stable support system, have low self-esteem, and are in search for the basic needs of food and shelter. More often, runaway and homeless youth are victims, and research has found that 40-70% of runaway and homeless youth, at least occasionally, engage in prostitution to meet their basic needs with it being equally divided between boys and girls (Polaris Project, 2010). Although the means of control used is force, fraud, and coercion, other control mechanisms are drugs and alcohol, the sense of family created, and learned loyalty.

The recruitment of victims is occurring in plain sight, at shopping malls, fast food restaurants, parties, at school, through peers, family members, online, and social media.

Social Media is the most prominent recruitment source because it allows the perpetrator an opportunity to gather information that can be used to gain trust from the victim, and to contact several victims at once. In addition, it creates the opportunity for plausible deniability since false accounts can be created, and these false personas groom the victims.

Gang involved sex trafficking is also one of the fastest growing criminal enterprises worldwide, with over 35 states in the U.S. having reported criminal street gangs engaging in common sexual exploitation.

Who are the Victims?

You see victims every day­—as you drive on your way to the store, ride past several hotels and motels, rush through Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport, fight the traffic during the events and conferences in downtown Atlanta,  go out to eat in Midtown, and ride past the Grey Hound station. These youth are recruited daily, at the mall, on the Marta train & bus, at school by their peers, by family members, in homeless shelters, on the internet, and through social media.

Victims of sexual exploitation do not choose this life, nor do they expect it to be a result of the relationships, promises, or threats made by their traffickers.

The average age of entry into the commercial sex industry in the U.S. is 12-14 years old (US Dept. of Justice, Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, 2011).

There are several key risk factors for youth that are perfect targets for trafficking and victimization, which include, but are not limited to: looking for family or identity, have experienced neglect and/or abuse, have emotional problems or mental health issues such as substance abuse or depression.

It is important to note, that vulnerabilities traffickers exploit will vary and are specific and tailor made to the victim. There is no singular profile. Tactics range from promises of love and belonging, to abduction and kidnapping.

Georgia Code Title 16, Section 16-6-4(a) defines child molestation as when: A person commits the offense of child molestation when he/she does any immoral or indecent act to or in the presence of or with any child under the age of 16 years with the intent to arouse or satisfy the sexual desires of either the child or the person.

Sex Trafficking is the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision or obtaining of a person for a commercial sex act, in which a commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud, or coercion, or in which the person induced to perform such an act has not attained 18 years of age. The use of force, fraud, or coercion does not have to be present for anyone age 18, for it to be commercial sex and having a psychological means of control are sufficient elements of the crime.

Trafficking can be domestic or international, and domestic minor sex trafficking occurs when a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident is under the age of 18 and is commercially sexually exploited.

Commercial Sexual Exploitation of children is any sexual activity involving a child in exchange for something of value or promised thereof, to the child or another person. In this situation, the child is being treated as a commercial sexual object. Per Georgia law, CSEC is a form of violence and abuse against children (O.C.G.A. 19-7-5(B)(II).

The things of value may be money, food, protection from threat, gifts, drugs, a place to shelter, clothing, or consumer goods. It is important to know that participants of CSEC are not just procurers (pimps), but also “johns,” teachers, traffickers, peers, friends, parents, other family members and those who engage in sex with a minor child.

“The Georgia Human Trafficking Fact Sheet” published in June 2013, is complied by the Center for Public Policy Studies and provides a basic overview of human trafficking numbers and demographics in Georgia, the United States and globally. This report defines types of sex trafficking as: bar/club operations (cantinas, strip/exotic dancing clubs, massage parlors, etc.), residential brothels (homes, apartments, hotels, mobile trailers), escort services (bar/hotel based,internet, boat cruises, chat lines), pimp-controlled prostitution (hotels, internet, private parties, street walking, truck stops).

Gang involved sex trafficking is also one of the fastest growing criminal enterprises worldwide and over 35 US States have reported that criminal street gangs are engaging in the business of commercial sex.