Somebody's Daughter : The Hidden Story of America's Prostituted Children and the Battle to Save Them

They are America’s forgotten children, the hundreds of thousands of child prostitutes who walk the Las Vegas Strip, the casinos of Atlantic City, the truck stops on interstates, and the street corners of our cities. Many people wrongly believe sex trafficking involves young women from foreign lands. In reality, the majority of teens caught in the sex trade are American girls--runaways and throwaways who become victims of ruthless pimps. In Somebody's Daughter: The Hidden Story of America's Prostituted Children and the Battle to Save Them, meet the girls who are fighting for their dignity, the cops who are trying to rescue them, and the community activists battling to protect the nation's most forsaken children. Author Julian Sher takes you behind the scenes to expose one of America’s most underreported crimes: A girl from New Jersey gets arrested in Las Vegas and, at great risk to her own life, helps the FBI take down a million-dollar pimping empire. An abused teenager in Texas has the courage to take the stand in a grueling trial that sends her pimp away for 75 years. Survivors of the sex trade in New York, Phoenix, and Minneapolis set up shelters and rescue centers that offer young girls a chance to break free from the streets. “The sex trade is the new drug trade,” says one FBI special agent, and Somebody's Daughter is a call to action, shining a light on America’s dirty little secret. Most People Believe Sex Trafficking In The United States Involves Young Women From Foreign Lands, But The Vast Majority Of Teens Caught In The Sex Trade Are American Girls -- The Runaways And Throwaways Few People Care About. Hundreds Of Thousands Of Prostituted Children Walk The Las Vegas Strip, The Casinos Of Atlantic City, The Truck Stops On Interstates, And The Street Corners Of Our Cities. The Author Takes The Reader Behind The Scenes To Expose One Of The Most Underreported Crimes: The Trafficking Of American Girls On American Streets. He Meets The Teenagers Who Are Fighting To Survive, A New Breed Of Cops Who Are Trying To Rescue Them, And The Activists Battling To Protect Our Country's Most Forsaken Children. A Girl From New Jersey Is Arrested In Las Vegas And, At Great Risk To Her Own Life, Helps A Special Fbi Squad Bring Down A Million-dollar Pimping Empire. An Abused Teenager In Texas Has The Courage To Take The Stand In A Grueling Trial That Sends Her Pimp Away For Seventy-five Years. Survivors Of The Sex Trade In New York, Phoenix, And Minneapolis Set Up Shelters And Rescue Centers That Offer Young Girls A Chance To Break Free From The Streets. The Girl From Jersey -- High-risk Victims -- Maria's Dilemma -- The Wealth Of Knowledge -- Taking On Pimp Culture -- He Was Untouchable -- Takedown -- She's Not Your Ho Anymore -- Like Attacking The Mafia -- In The Dead Of The Night -- Judge People By Courage -- Courtroom 18 -- No Save Haven -- Unequal Laws -- Finding Their Own Voice -- Making The Invisible Visible -- Epilogue : Caught In Between Two Worlds. Julian Sher. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 331-332) And Index. Contents......Page 6 Author’s Note......Page 8 Prologue What Happens in Vegas......Page 12 Part One Innocence Lost......Page 26 1. The Girl from Jersey......Page 28 2. High-Risk Victims......Page 46 3. Maria’s Dilemma......Page 70 4. The Wealth of Knowledge......Page 86 Part Two Confronting the Pimps......Page 100 5. Taking on Pimp Culture......Page 102 6. “He Was Untouchable”......Page 118 7. Takedown......Page 138 8. “She’s Not Your Ho Anymore”......Page 150 9. “Like Attacking the Mafia”......Page 172 10. In the Dead of the Night......Page 190 11. “Judge People by Courage”......Page 198 Part Three “Girls Are Not for Sale”......Page 230 12. Courtroom 18......Page 232 13. No Safe Haven......Page 248 14. Unequal Laws......Page 262 15. Finding Their Own Voice......Page 288 16. Making the Invisible Visible......Page 310 Epilogue “Caught in Between Two Worlds”......Page 328 Acknowledgments......Page 336 Resources for Help......Page 338 Sources......Page 342 Index......Page 344 Shocking and gritty, this collection contains firsthand accounts of terror and abuse from prostituted children—and the law enforcement officers and community activists working to save them. While detailing the necessity for substantive legal and cultural change on the national level in regard to prostitution, pimps, and children's rights, this book also provides encouraging stories of new, pioneering law enforcement initiatives and child-recovery strategies reaping positive results in urban areas inundated with children victimized by sexual exploitation and violence, such as Las Vegas, Atlantic City, New York City, Phoenix, and Dallas. A call to awareness and action for parents, legislators, and educators, this examination exposes this country's dirty secret. Exposes the problem of child prostitution in the United States, sharing stories of American girls caught in the sex trafficking trade, and introduces police officers and activists who are trying to protect and rescue these young victims.