413047-Underground-Commercial-Sex-Economy

Main Findings
We highlight 17 main findings which are divided into two groups: (1) sex trafficking and sex work and
(2) child pornography. 2 These findings are discussed in more detail in chapter 10.
Sex Trafficking and Sex Work Findings
1. Estimates of the UCSE in 2007 range from $39.9 to $290 million in the cities
included in the study. In five of the seven cities, the size of the UCSE decreased from
2003 to 2007. During the same time period, the underground drug economy increased in five
cities and the underground gun economy decreased in three cities, increased in three cities, and
remained the same in one city. 3
2. In all eight study sites, there appears to be no connection between weapons
trafficking and the UCSE. The overlap with drug trafficking varies by UCSE venue.
In five of the study sites, gang involvement in sex trafficking and prostitution seems
to be increasing. Neither offenders nor law enforcement stakeholders offered concrete evidence
of a connection between domestic weapons trafficking and domestic sex trafficking or
prostitution. The connection between drug trafficking and the UCSE varies by type of sex venue.
Twenty-five percent of pimp respondents (controlling street and Internet sex work) worked as
drug dealers prior to working as pimps, and 18 percent of respondents continued to deal drugs
while they pimped, creating overlap between the profits and networks within each economy. The
connections between drug trafficking and indoor commercial sex venues such as brothels and
erotic massage parlors are unclear at present and require additional investigation. The
involvement of gangs in pimping was cited in five of the eight study sites.
3. Pimps travel in circuits and utilize social networks to facilitate the transportation of
employees to different locations for work. Pimps transported women and girls along
circuits that connect different cities with active UCSEs. Law enforcement respondents reported
local, statewide, regional, and national circuits. Offenders reported that connections with pimps
in other cities helped them stay informed about law enforcement activities and local events that
could affect travel decisions.
4. Pimps and sex workers cited many of the same factors influencing their decision to
become involved in the UCSE. Pimps described neighborhood influence, family
exposure to sex work, lack of job options, and encouragement from a significant
other or acquaintance as critical factors in their decision to engage in the UCSE. Sex
worker respondents explained, and previous studies have also established, that street-based sex
workers become involved in sex work for similar reasons such as economic necessity, family and
peer encouragement, childhood trauma, and social acceptance.
5. Pimps rely on multiple actors to maintain control over UCSE operations.
Individuals already under pimp control play a critical role in recruiting other
individuals to engage in the UCSE; friends or family members work as drivers or
provide security; and complicit legal businesses often enable sex trafficking
operations. Though pimps can operate without the support of additional actors, their assistance
often helps pimps expand their operations, maintain tighter control over their employees, and
avoid law enforcement detection.
6. Different forms of coercion and fraud are used by pimps to recruit, manage, and
retain control over employees. These forms include feigning romantic interest,
emphasizing mutual dependency between pimp and employee, discouraging women
from “having sex for free,” and promising material comforts. These methods are
relatively advanced; for example, pimps reported adjusting their recruitment methods in
2 Child pornography is separated out from sex trafficking and sex work since we learned early on in the project that child
pornography is primarily non-commercialized in the United States and is often traded for free.
3 Due to the insufficient data about Kansas City, this city was dropped from the estimation analysis (see chapter 3 for more detail).
2