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Federal Bureau of InvestigationIn 2003, the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division/Violent Crimes Section, in conjunction with both theDepartment of Justice/Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section and the National Center for Missing andExploited Children implemented a national initiative named “Innocence Lost” to address child prostitution inthe United States. A multi-faceted strategy was developed to train personnel and establish task forces; shareintelligence concerning pimps, juveniles used in prostitution, and criminal enterprises; and support long-terminvestigations with the requisite personnel and financial resources. The Atlanta FBI office was identified asone of fourteen field sites having the highest incidence of children used in prostitution.Judicial and Human Service Response:Prevention and InterventionThe districts attorneys must make the prosecution of pimps and johns a priority. If Atlanta is perceived as a“no tolerance” zone for this illegal behavior, it will go a long way in creating the cultural shift necessary tomove it from the category of a “victimless crime.” According to Deborah Richardson, Vice President forPrograms and Strategic Initiatives of the Atlanta Women’s Foundation, “I think we let the johns off the hook.Pimps are business persons responding to a demand.”Girls who are at-risk of or who have been victims of commercial sexual exploitation need specialized services.It is not enough to take a program developed for boys and “paint it pink.” Girls need safe spaces away fromthe grasp of their exploiters. They need programs to help them deal with the physical and psychological effectsof being sexually exploited. The following are some of the programs created to assist girls at risk and girls whohave been exploited.The Fulton County Child Advocacy CenterThe Child Advocacy Center serves children who have been abused. The program is based on the Children’sAdvocacy Center Model of the National Children’s Alliance. It works to reduce the service fragmentation thatoften further traumatizes the children various agencies are trying to help. Representatives from prosecutionand law enforcement units, child protection agencies, mental health and medical services, and victim advocacyorganizations work together conducting joint forensic interviews and making team decisions about the investigation,treatment, management, and prosecution of child abuse cases. In 2004, the Center reviewed 863 cases,of which 88% were African American and 84% were girls. The Center is launching CACTIS (Child AbuseCase Tracking Information System), a database to track sexually exploited children and their exploiters. Thiswill provide 14 agencies with a coordinated mechanism for data sharing and information gathering.The Juvenile Justice FundThe Juvenile Justice Fund was established to facilitate the development of resources to provide comprehensiveservices to improve the lives of children and strengthen the families and youth served by the Fulton CountyJuvenile Court. Angela’s House, CEASE, Visitation Centers, Multisystematic Therapy, Red Oak Collaboration,and Special Education Advocacy have all been initiatives under auspices of the Fund.32CEASEAlesia Adams, the former Victims of Prostitution (VOP) coordinator, created CEASE (Center to End Abuseand Sexual Exploitation). CEASE advocates on behalf of victims of commercial sexual exploitation; makesappropriate recommendations for treatment and other services after reviewing court-ordered psychologicalevaluations, family assessments and child interviews; and conducts community education and awarenessprograms. CEASE works with the Atlanta school system to identify girls at risk and offer them alternativesto at-risk behavior. Adams has developed a prevention curriculum for middle school students that promotes