By Linda A Smith Samantha Healy Vardaman Melissa A Snow

The National Report on Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking: America’s Prostituted Children 532006 the number of youth arrested for prostitution charges in Utah were reported as follows: zero (2000),three (2001), zero (2002), two (2003), seven (2004), five (2005), three (2006). From January to June 2007,five juveniles were arrested for prostitution activities. 148Table 5: Utah Arrests of Juveniles:Offense Number PercentProstitution 26 61.9%Sexual Solicitation(first offense)15 35.7%Sexual Solicitation(second offense)1 2.4%Other locations reported significant numbers of minors charged with prostitution and prostitutionrelateddelinquency offenses (see chart below). These charges are in direct conflict with the federal TVPA,which defines prostituted children as victims of sex trafficking. Furthermore, detention of these victimsis detrimental to their recovery and reintegration into society as restored children. Victims are frequentlyhoused with the general population of juvenile delinquency offenders, which results in those minors beingexposed to other delinquent types of behavior instead of rehabilitation. This practice is likely due to thelack of appropriate services or shelters for DMST victims.Table 6: Number of Victims in Detention or Juvenile Justice Facilities under Prostitution-Related Charges*Location Number of DMST Victims Time FrameDallas 165 2007Las Vegas 1,875 1996-2007Baton Rouge/New Orleans 13 2000-2008Utah 50 1996-2008Florida 364 2000-2006Fort Worth 25 2000-2008*Though there were reports of victims in detention centers or juvenile justice facilities in nine locations, only six were able toproduce specific numbers due to the lack of identification and tracking mechanisms. In addition, these numbers were obtainedthrough qualitative interviews and quantitative data collection methods. As such, these are not official government numbers.148Snow, Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking Assessment Report — Salt Lake City, Utah, pgs. 18, 39.