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Young Alaska Native Girls Disproportionately Targeted in Sex TraffickingThese girls are so heavily sought after because sex traffickers can advertise them as other ethnicities like Asian, Native or Hawaiian.Related Content
According to law enforcement, the number of Alaska Native girls being drawn into prostitution is greater than ever.
The illegal business of sex trafficking attracts vulnerable kids and turns them into prostitutes, raking in big money for pimps and sex traffickers. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, said that young women come to city hubs from the villages and are basically being picked up off the street and lost, “gone forever into these sex trafficking rings.” Sgt. Kathy Lacey, head of the Anchorage Police Department’s vice unit, says that sex trafficking is “happening right here on the streets of Anchorage with our kids.” She said young people may travel to Anchorage from outlying communities and “before they know it they are being approached by a trafficker.” Native girls are being targeted more aggressively because they can be advertised as Asian or Hawaiian. But now, instead of predators picking up would-be prostitutes directly off the street, predators have moved to finding their prey online. “The explosion of the internet-facilitated prostitution has moved it into hotel rooms and into private residences,” said Lacey, making it more difficult to bust. Online or on the street, whether it be movie theaters or malls, the prostitution trade in Alaska is very active, however, there are resources to guide young people away toward a more positive path. Young adults who have been traumatized in the past can be more easily convinced to engage in prostitution, a problem that officials at the Covenant House of Alaska in Anchorage regularly encounter. “I would say that our staff is dealing with this on a monthly basis,” said Lauren Rice, director of public affairs for Covenant House. She said that these targeted individuals are vulnerable to being recruited because “they may not identify their value outside of doing these things.” Sex traffickers are often prosecuted at the federal level because state law only allows prosecution if the victim is transferred across state lines. Critics of the law encourage Alaska lawmakers to strengthen the consequences of sex trafficking within state borders. Safety officials stress the importance of knowing where your children are, who they are with, and encourage reporting suspicious activity to police. You can also be a positive advocate for young people by mentoring, tutoring or even donating clothes and bus tokens. |
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akbandit said on Tuesday, Jul 26 at 12:31 AM
Fred- If you had thought about this for more than 5 seconds, you'd realize the stupidity of your logic. How exactly would anyone have numbers? The girls disappear. It's known that some are runaways, some become prostitutes, some may find a boyfriend and leave the state.... I seriously doubt this article was done so anyone could get 'airtime'. There's plenty of lightweight stuff for that if they want it. Covenant House has their own data, but won't share it due to privacy laws. APD is too busy protecting their own predators in uniform to care. The parents of the girls often may not care where they went, given that the father may have been guilty of worse offenses himself, and both parents may have substance abuse issues. Not trying to stereotype, but kids generally don't run from stable loving families. If they do leave, usually someone is keeping track of them. I too hate sensationalism, but in this case I think the more attention to the issue the better. Even ONE girl is too many!
71287466fred said on Saturday, Jul 23 at 8:09 AM
This is a news article? You cite no stats- 5 girls every day/week/year? You make it sound like there is a predatory sex trafficker on every corner but offer no proof. This article seems like a sensational venue to increase market share and allow a politician and an APD spokesperson to get free airtime. Maybe there is a problem but we can't tell from this
71176819cooljulie said on Wednesday, Jul 20 at 10:16 PM
Wes, I don't live in Anchorage, but work there occasionally and go to dinner, PAC, visit friends, etc. If I had the time, I would hang out at the bus station, both to talk with teens and watch the goings on to try to familiarize myself with the predator types. These young girls are easy victims in more ways than one. Many of them come from abusive situations in the vilages. They fear men, and at the same time seek a good father figure. They also are used to being dominated by men. Makes them VERY vulnerable. Your position and actions are admirable, and if enough adults did the same, we could seriously lessen the risk for these females. Meanwhile, while my question was more rhetorical, I see the police doing little more than lip service. Most criminals are cowards, and when the average citizen takes action, it has a dramatic effect on illegal activity. I'm not a violent person, nor do I advocate it, but justice needs to be served on these sickos. As I said- they wouldn't be missed.
71049202Wes said on Wednesday, Jul 20 at 6:26 PM
Cooljulie:Do you take time to get to know the kids you encounter on a regular basis? Perhaps Anchorage is too big for that. I talk to teenagers--both genders and let them know what's going on around that is positive. I tell stories about my struggles and successes at that age and what I did to get through that difficult age.I ask if they have special needs and if thing are OK, and have purchased meals and occasionally things like shoes.Teens need to KNOW that there positive choices and that adults care. If adults can do these things in an appropriate fashion, there can be an uplifting that passes from one generation to the next. That works better than vigilantism most every time.
71040032cooljulie said on Wednesday, Jul 20 at 5:14 PM
What about vigilantism? Shall we try that? I, for one, would not mind seeing these sick predators 'disappear' (watch the movie Death Wish). APD and AST don't seem to be too interested in enforcing serious stuff like this, preferring instead to write tickets for parking infractions and defective tail ights. On two occasions recently I have been approached by rather bold (homeless, I assume) panhandlers demanding money. I also see them on the same old street corners all the time, and have watched cop cars roll on by, ignoring them. Didn't we pass a law about that? I now carry a stun gun (tazer) at all times. Gives me amazing peace of mind. Covenant House is treating the symptom rather than the cause. Can we not intervene in the lives of these girls much sooner?
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