413047-Underground-Commercial-Sex-Economy

Law enforcement noted that travel circuits may evolve in response to enhanced law enforcement activity
in specific cities. Although pimps did not confirm that they traveled specific circuits, there were trends as
to where pimps from certain cities would travel to for business. For example, pimps from Miami would
travel to Atlanta and some Atlanta pimps would travel to Washington, DC.
Offenders reported that connections with pimps in other cities helped them stay informed about law
enforcement activities and local events that could inform travel decisions. Social networks could also help
pimps assimilate quickly to the local UCSE when travelling. Pimps reported that local business partners
assisted with logistical planning by identifying hotels and streets where prostitution takes place.
Policy Implications
All states and DC should develop human trafficking task forces or bodies to help coordinate law
enforcement strategies statewide. State-level taskforces are critical to coordinate law enforcement
responses to local travel circuits and networks, improve social services for human trafficking victims, and
disseminate information about human trafficking. At present, only 20 states have statutes that create or
support human trafficking task forces. 83 As this study indicates, pimps’ modify their travel circuits based
on law enforcement attention, and effectively dismantling travel circuits will require coordinated work
across cities.
Practice Implications
Increased communication across law enforcement agencies will bolster investigation efforts. Agencies
along circuits described by law enforcement and offenders should communicate about cases and share
investigative findings. Law enforcement agencies should also communicate local crackdowns on sex work,
as local efforts in one city may displace activity to other cities.
Federal-level coordination remains critical to combat regional and national circuits and networks. While
neither travel circuits nor pimp networks appear highly organized, they enable offenders to adjust course
and target cities with lower law enforcement activity. Federal-local partnerships to investigate cases that
cross state lines (and country borders) should be maintained, including the President’s Interagency Task
Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking, Bureau of Justice Assistance and Office of Victims of Crime
human trafficking task forces, the Federal Bureau of Investigation Innocence Lost and Internet Crimes
against Children Task Forces, and the Department of Justice’s Anti-Trafficking Coordination Teams.
Their efforts should continue to focus on maintaining, expanding, and modifying, when necessary, the
responsibilities and activities of policies and programs that address trafficking and commercial sexual
exploitation.
Finding 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.
As one of the only studies to systematically explore pimps’ entry into the sex market as facilitators, this
study offers insight into the factors that influence offenders’ decisions to engage in the UCSE. Findings
suggest that individuals start pimping for a number of different reasons; including the learned
experiences of family members (32 percent), the impact of neighborhood environment and a perceived
lack of legal employment alternatives (26 percent), pressure from a female acquaintance or significant
83 The 20 states with statutes creating or supporting human-trafficking task forces or responsive entities are Arkansas, Colorado,
Connecticut, Kansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Mexico, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina,
Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, and Washington (Polaris Project 2013).
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