Prosecutor: ‘We Need To Talk About Demand’ To Curb Human Trafficking

April 6, 2016

A Washington state prosecutor  told a Florida panel charged with fighting human trafficking that it must crack down on men who seek to buy sex from prostitutes.

Val Richey, a senior prosecutor in King County, Wash., told the legislative committee of the Florida Statewide Council on Human Trafficking that his jurisdiction — which includes Seattle — vigorously prosecutes buyers and pimps.

“How do you expect to uproot a tree when all you’re doing is ripping at the leaves?” Richey, appearing by video, asked the panel. “If we really want to end commercial exploitation, then we need to talk about demand.”

The prosecutor said his office had changed its approach to sex trafficking after studying the characteristics of pimps, buyers and victims in King County, which has a population of about 2 million.

The buyers were overwhelmingly white — 79 percent — and upper class, Richey said. The victims were overwhelmingly poor and members of a minority, and many lived on the street. Many had been sexually abused before they were trafficked. Many had mental illnesses.

“This crime just disproportionately hammers these vulnerable communities,” Richey said.

But prosecutors also found that prostitutes were being arrested at 25 or 50 times the rate of buyers. That raised ethical and moral questions, Richey said — and it also didn’t work.

“I don’t know anybody, anywhere in the country, who feels that they have a grip on the problem of trafficking,” he said. “We’re all doing our best, we’re all coming up with innovative responses — but nobody’s got it under control.”

Richey said the demand is vast, with tens of thousands of men buying sex and 100 websites selling it in his jurisdiction alone. Prosecutors quickly found that taking pimps off the streets didn’t affect demand.

“Traffickers, like drug dealers, are not deterred by other traffickers getting prosecuted,” Richey said. “They’re enabled. And that really taught us something about what our focus needed to be. And that, namely, was the buyer.”

In 2015, no King County juveniles were arrested for prostitution, down from 50 in 2009. But during that time, 140 men who bought sex from minors were prosecuted.

Buyers who are sentenced in King County must participate in a 10-week program called “Stopping Sexual Exploitation.” They have to pay for it, Richey said, and the money goes straight to victim services.

Additionally, men in the program learn about the high rate of violence against prostitutes by buyers, not just pimps and traffickers. Richey said 73 percent of prostitutes in his jurisdiction had been physically assaulted, 64 percent to 83 percent had been threatened with weapons, and 53 percent to 62 percent had been raped. Nearly 80 percent want out of the life.

Richey also noted that the peak time for buyers to solicit sex is 2 p.m. — usually from work, setting up dates for after work. Some even have sex on the grounds of their workplace. That’s why 18 King County businesses with 125,000 employees are collaborating with prosecutors in cracking down on buyers of sex.

“They do not want the liability,” Richey said. “They do not want the loss of productivity.”

After Richey’s presentation, Florida Department of Children and Families Secretary Mike Carroll said it was the most comprehensive he’d ever seen on the subject.

“We’ve got to get upstream on the demand for this,” he said.

by Margie Menzel, The News Service of Florida

Comments

6 Responses to “Prosecutor: ‘We Need To Talk About Demand’ To Curb Human Trafficking”

  1. David Huie Green on April 10th, 2016 9:30 am

    Keep in mind your actual goal.

    If it is to stop sexual relations outside of those of married couples of opposite sex, say so.
    If it is to protect sex workers from mistreatment, say so.
    If it is to protect minors from predators, say so.
    If it is to remove all rewards tor sexual intercourse, say so. (Sometimes couples reward each other for a pleasant meal and a movie with this sinful activity. Just because it isn’t cash doesn’t mean cash wasn’t spent to get it or that there weren’t rewards involved in one form or another.)

    When you have decided and clearly said so, consider what might actually achieve that goal. Solutions which don’t solve the actual problem are just distractions and are often counterproductive — they make the real problem worse.

    Decide how much damage you are willing to do to achieve your goal.

    David for clarity

  2. 429SCJ on April 10th, 2016 8:02 am

    When the risk outweigh the earthly rewards for procurers (pimps), then this crime will diminish.

    Targeting johns is a good deterrant (deterrent), a life of hard labor is a good one for procurers.

    But you have to make sure that they work hard, and under difficult conditions.

  3. Jimmy on April 7th, 2016 7:45 am

    And don’t forget porn. Often made with trafficked women. Not to mention how it warps minds and fuels the trafficking industry. And don’t forget the obscenity laws that have gone unenforced under Obama’s administration. Definitely arrest the “johns”.

  4. David Huie Green on April 6th, 2016 5:21 pm

    Curb demand?
    Neuter all males?
    Anything less and you will still have some demand.

  5. Bob C. on April 6th, 2016 4:57 pm

    Take this up the line from the exploited women and men on the streets through their pimps through their bosses right to the root and find out who is really making huge amounts of money in this flesh trade.
    Bet if the real heads were named we’d all be surprised at the upstanding citizens who are behind much of this.
    Human trafficking to Drug trafficking the street level is an easy and BIG NEWS thing that quickly dies off after someone has been in the news and on t.v.
    Expose the heads of this terrible business no matter who they are.

  6. Mom on April 6th, 2016 7:30 am

    I agree! Why go after just the girls/boys who are on the street? In most cases-they are being forced to do so. Go after the low lifes who drive the demand for it! These sick people need to put in prison and left there. So many lives are ruined, never to be repaired. I pray for all these young girls/boys who are kidnapped and forced into this life. It is just so very sad. We have to try something different because whats been done in the past surely hasn’t slowed it down at all.
    Prayers to all those out there that need it!

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News