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Human Trafficking in Sonoma County

by Mandy Schloss
Human Trafficking has become a prevalent issue throughout the United States, especially in Sonoma County. It is, however, underreported and efforts against it are underfunded. Young women are being exploited for the profit of the pimps.

Human trafficking is a highly underreported crime that has recently become a huge issue in Sonoma County. Human Trafficking is defined as the illegal movement of people, typically for the purposes of forced labor or commercial sexual exploitation. This modern-day form of slavery has become a prevalent issue in Sonoma County. Traffickers recruit at locations that commonly attract youth such as schools, malls, parks, group homes, etc. In Sonoma County, motels are also a hot spot for prostitution and trafficking. Because human trafficking is such a mysterious and secretive crime in which victims are usually cut off from the outside world, it often goes unreported and the traffickers tend to get away with it. Large sting operations have been used to take down traffickers and have been successful.


According to the Rohnert Park Police Department, pimps are much harder to catch so the focus is to put an end to prostitution, which, in turn, will lead to less trafficking. Young women are being brainwashed into using their bodies to make money for their pimps and there is not enough effort being put into ending this form of slavery.


Mandy Schloss, Rohnert Park, Sociology major at Sonoma State University

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