★ Human Trafficking in San Francisco

I assumed there was a prostitution problem in Oakland and San
Francisco, but I had no idea there was such a huge problem with sex
trafficking of CHILDREN. I’m watching an MSNBC story on Oakland sex
trafficking right now. Thousands of underage girls and boys are
exploited every year. Since the girl’s pimps keep SUCH a close eye on
their every move, sometimes the only way they get help is when they’re
arrested by undercover cops, pretending to pick them up. A lot of them
do not have homes, though, or they are so afraid of their pimps that
they don’t seek help. Vans called “rolling brothels” drive through
Oakland looking for new girls to kidnap. It’s such a HUGE problem in
Oakland. The youngest girl rescued was 10 years old; so young that she
hadn’t even started to develop and her childhood was already robbed
from her. It’s all so heartbreaking.

The story also hits on the fact that Craigslist has become a HUGE
resource for online sex trafficking in the Bay Area. The pimps create
Craigslist postings and use key words like “rosez” and “diamonds.”
myRedBook was also highlighted as being used for the same purpose and
on this site the men can write detailed, crude explanations regarding
their time spent with these girls. Craigslist has now agreed to donate
some of their profits to organizations that protect these women.

If there is an issue that you’re looking to donate to, this would be
by selection. There are local organizations aimed at helping exploited
girls escape and jailing their pimps. Here are some links.

http://www.acgov.org/icpc/ourkids/overview.htm
http://www.sagesf.org/
http://oaklandnorth.net/2008/10/28/bay-area-child-sex-trafficking-stings-lead-nationwide-effort/