A new report on human trafficking says that approximately 1,000 American-born children are forced into the sex trade in Ohio each year. The report, done by the Trafficking in Persons Study Commission, blames the high numbers on Ohio's weak laws on human trafficking and proximity to the Canadian border.
Toronto's airport is a common destination for international trafficking victims who are brought into Canada and moved to other places. Toledo is only 55 miles away from Windsor, Ontario, contributing to Ohio's rank as fourth in the U.S. for arrests and investigations related to child sex cases, the report said.
The trafficking commission also found that around 800 immigrants are sexually exploited and forced to work in sweatshops, fields, construction sites or restaurants against their will annually. Ohio has a large foreign-born population, with a growing number of legal and illegal immigrants who bring victims into the country for sex or labor.
Besides pointing out lax human trafficking laws, the report says that Ohio law enforcement often label child prostitutes as delinquents, rather than going after the adults involved. The report recommends that child trafficking cases go through the child welfare system instead of the juvenile courts.
According to the U.S. State Department, between 45,000 and 50,000 people are trafficked into the United States each year.
