Atlanta is No. 1 in sex trafficking, according to study
An Urban Institute study of sex trafficking from 2003–2007 ranks Atlanta as the No. 1 city in the nation for sex trafficking. The study estimates that pimps in Atlanta make as much as $33,000 a week. The study examined sex trafficking in eight cities: Atlanta, Dallas, Denver, Kansas City, Miami, Seattle, San Diego, Calif., and Washington, D.C., to try to determine the size and scope of human trafficking and its economic impact. The results are startling and offer a dark view of Atlanta, the home of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
The study had four main research questions:
- How large is the underground commercial sex economy in eight major U.S. cities?
- To what extent are the underground commercial sex, drug, and weapons economies interconnected in the eight major U.S. cities?
- How do the ties between traffickers within the underground commercial sex economy impact the transportation of sex trafficking victims?
- What are the network characteristics of the traffickers that operate within the underground commercial sex economy?
The survey revealed that 65 percent of the pimps in the Atlanta study group were black as well as 33 percent of the sex workers. This figure was second only to the Latino pimp population of 11 percent of the pimps and 10 percent being Latino sex workers. The report also stated that pimps are technologically savvy and use social networking to stay ahead of law enforcement.
The complete study can be found at:
