In the movies, human trafficking is usually displayed in dramatic fashion: a stranger kidnaps a young girl from an idyllic life, whisks her across a foreign border, and conceals her in isolation. In reality, trafficking is far less theatrical, though every bit as dangerous.

Trafficking occurs when services are performed through force, fraud, or coercion. Minors under the age of 18 are considered to be victims of sexual trafficking if there is any commercial element to the act, regardless of the use of force, fraud or coercion.

Human trafficking — a broader category which encompasses other criminal activity like sexual trafficking and labor trafficking — often begins with criminal actors preying on vulnerable victims. Human trafficking is a crime against a person, not a border. This means

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