Reports of online sexual exploitation of children have soared during the COVID-19 pandemic as predators take advantage of the fact that kids are often unsupervised and spending more time online for distance learning and entertainment.
Sex traffickers are using the internet to target unsuspecting and vulnerable youth and forcing them into commercial sexual exploitation:
- A research study showed that 55% of victims of sex trafficking who were minors met their traffickers through a website or mobile app.
- The month following sheltering in place orders, reports of sex trafficking crisis cases handled by the Trafficking Hotline increased by more than 40% compared to the prior month.
Much like the grooming tactics employed by sexual predators, sex traffickers lure their target into an online relationship, with the ultimate goal of meeting in person.
|