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had women who are married and come through” (D13). Similarly, offender respondents reported that any
woman, regardless of her situation, could be manipulated to engage in sex work:
Interviewer: Is there a certain type of girl who can be manipulated
Respondent: I believe any female is doable to change, by that I mean going to make
money. I have seen girls that come from college, that come from money, who have been
changed by this process.
Interviewer: How long does that change take
Respondent: It can take anywhere from a day to a few months.
Interviewer: Do you think that it’s a difference between a day and month if they come
from a better family
Respondent: Yeah, if they come from a good home, stable family they’ll take a bit
longer, but they come around. (A4)
One respondent stated that he actively avoided working with women who had experienced sexual abuse or
were economically disadvantaged, suggesting that women who engaged in sex work for reasons beyond
personal choice might not be as reliable or invested in the work. He explained, “To be quite honest, it’s not
like I have it on my mind that I am going to target weak people. A lot of people think you target weak
people down on their luck, that’s not my criteria. That puts you in a situation that you are just in it for
that, and it’s not your choice” (D8). Another pimp suggested that the majority of women who sell sex
under pimp management share an enjoyment for the work rather than vulnerability or a history of abuse:
But realize this: you enjoy doing what you’re doing. You’re doing what you’re trained to
do. So, every woman doesn’t want to be a stenographer or go to the penitentiary and
interview a convict. There’s always a segment of society that chooses to be a prostitute. Of
course, if some girls had an alternative, there would be a fraction that go in another
direction. But there are some that want to experience this. That are born for this. (G7)
While findings did indicate that vulnerability and past abuse can be and are exploited by pimps, there no
simple profile of women targeted by pimps for sex work. Pimps reported recruiting and employing women
of all races and backgrounds. The following section considers locations where pimps commonly recruit
new employees to engage in sex work.
Locations of Recruitment
Pimps and traffickers recruit women through a variety of public locations: advertisements, businesses,
online, malls and shopping venues, social events, bus stations, and nightclubs (Hughes 2000; May et al.
2000; Raphael and Myers-Powell 2009, 2010; Raymond et al. 2001; UNGIFHT 2008). Respondent
interviews corroborated the tremendous diversity of recruitment locations and suggest that pimps are
generally not discretionary in their recruitment locations and rather take advantage of daily social
interactions to connect with potential employees: “Malls, college campuses, clubs, restaurants. It’s a fulltime
thing. If I’m at a gas station and I look at you…” (G10). Recruitment does not occur in a discrete
location that the pimp and prospective employee seek out, but rather plays out in highly public spaces.
Another pimp explained he was always looking to recruit women: “Wherever I go, I talk to people. I try to
talk to as many people as I could wherever I go. If I was going to the grocery store, I try to talk to people
there” (E16). That said, pimps can and do use location as a tool of recruitment by targeting particular
areas based on their assumptions about the women that inhabit them. Certain locations were frequently
mentioned and warrant additional consideration.
Figure 6.1 below presents commonly referenced recruitment venues. The following sections consider
respondent descriptions of common recruitment locations and recruitment methods and are not mutually
exclusive.
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