THE "Weaker" Sex: AND MY FUTILE SEARCH FOR ELUSIVE SEX TRAFFICKING VICTIMS.

• Author: Bagge, Peter

AFTER I REACHED OUT TO NUMEROUS' ORGANIZATIONS DEDICATED TO THE FIGHT AGAINST SEX TRAFFICKING, ONLY A FEW PEOPLE AGREED TO TALK TO ME--ALBEIT ANONYMOUSLY...

YET EVEN THEN THEY NEVER STRAYED FROM THE TALKING POINTS I'D ALREADY READ ON THEIR WEBSITES. I SENSED I WAS BEING PLACATED WITH THEIR PRESENCE.

THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SEX TRAFFICKING AND PROSTITUTION...

WHAT SAVE WOMAN WOULD SELL HER BODY WITHOUT BEING COERCED?

WOULD YOU WIND IF WE ORDERED ANOTHER MIMOSA?

WHY WOULD I MIND?

GO NUTS!

WAIT--DO THEY THINK I'M PAYING FOR THIS BRUNCH?

ALL ATTEMPTS AT PLAYING HARD-HITTING JOURNALIST WERE SMOOTHLY THWARTED--AND PRESSING FURTHER WAS SURE TO MAKE ONE SOUND LIKE A HEARTLESS CYNIC...

79,000 UNDERAGE GIRLS ARE CURRENTLY SEX TRAFFICKED IN TEXAS ALONE.

THAT NUMBER SOUNDS IMPOSSIBLY HIGH...

THAT'S A CONSERVATIVE ESTIMATE!

READ THE VICTIMS' TESTIMONIALS ON OUR WEBSITE. IT'LL BREAK YOUR HEART!

I HAD TO HAND IT TO 'EM. THEY HAD EVERY BASE COVERED!

YOUR GROUP IS FUNDED BY AN ODD MIX OF PRIVATE AND PUBLIC SOURCES--

WE HAVE A PERFECT RECORD REGARDING OUR FISCAL TRANSPARENCY...

WE CAN SEND YOU LINKS CONFIRMING THAT FACT.

THEY'RE EITHER SAINTS OR THEY'RE RUNNING A PERFECT SCAM!

AT LEAST ONE RESCUER, TASHA SMITH OF TACOMA'S "REBUILDING HOPE," WAS WILLING TO TALK TO ME ON THE RECORD.

YOUR ORGANIZATION HAS BEEN COUNSELLING SEXUAL ASSAULT VICTIMS FOR--

THIRTY-FIVE YEARS.

--YET YOU RECENTLY PARTNERED WITH THE COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE TO HELP WOMEN WHO'VE BEEN ARRESTED FOR PROSTITUTION.

YES, AS PART OF A VOLUNTARY DIVERSION PROGRAM.

BUT IT'S THAT OR JAIL TIME.

TRUE. NOT A GOOD CHOICE...

BUT HOW CAN YOU HELP SOMEONE WHO DIDN'T ASK FOR YOUR HELP?

OH, YOU'D BE SURPRISED...

MOST OF THESE GIRLS ARE UNAWARE OF HOW THEY'VE BEEN MANIPULATED UNTIL WE PROVIDE THEM WITH A FRESH PERSPECTIVE...

AND THEIR PIMPS ARE PIMPS MANIPULATORS...

THEY COMBINE PROMISES WITH THREATS...

BUT WHO ARE THESE MASTER MANIPULATORS? WHERE DO THEY COME FROM?

"MOST COME FROM THE SAME GANG-RIDDEN 'HOODS AS THE GIRLS, AND ARE JUST A FEW YEARS OLDER THAN THEM"...

HOLD THAT POSE, BABY...

I'M GONNA MONETIZE 'DAT ASS!

WHATEVER...

--HEY, WHICH KARDASHIAN DO YOU THINK IS PRETTIEST?

"TECHNOLOGY HAS MADE THE SEX TRADE BOTH SAFER AND MORE PROFITABLE THAN DRUG DEALING, SO THE GANGS TURNED TO THEIR GIRL FRIENDS AS AN INCOME SOURCE.

WOW!

GETTING LAID HAS NEVER BEEN EASIER!

"THESE MEN EVEN ORDER THE OLDER GIRLS TO BEAT THE YOUNGER ONES TO KEEP THEM IN LINE"...

MWAH HA HA! I'M SUCH A GENIUS!

"...WHICH SOME OF...