Child Prostitution and Sex Trafficking Topic of Diversity Brown Bag

In Our Own Backyard: Child Prostitution and Sex Trafficking in Arizona is the topic of the free Faces of Diversity Brown Bag series from noon to 1 p.m. Friday, March. 15, at the Phoenix City Council Chambers, 200 W. Jefferson St. When people hear the words sex trafficking, they immediately think of women and children overseas who are being forced into the sex trade or who are brought into the United States for the purpose of sexual exploitation. They dont usually think Americans trafficked by Americans. Sex trafficking in Phoenix has risen, making Phoenix third in the nation for child sex trafficking. The average age of a young person entering into the world of street prostitution is between 13 and 14 years old. Many women and children have been forced into sexual, physical and mental abuse. They become prey to the pimps that pretend to care about them while forcing them to engage in criminal conduct. In this session, participants will hear a discussion about the methods used to enslave children, the role of law enforcement to arrest the traffickers and the support system created by local advocacy groups for the survivors of sex trafficking. The discussion will be facilitated by Janet Olson, RN, Arizonans for the Protection of Exploited Children and Adults (APECA). Panel members include Lt. Jim Gallagher, Phoenix Police Department, and Dominique Roe-Sepowitz, ASU Department of Social Work. The free event is co-sponsored by the Phoenix Human Relations Commission and the citys Equal Opportunity Department. The Faces of Diversity series features dynamic people telling their stories about diversity. Bring your lunch and enjoy a cultural experience. No reservation is needed. For more information, call 602-495-0358 or 602-534-1557/TTY or visit phoenix.gov/eod/whatsnew. Follow us on Twitter @phxequalopprty.