How Houston Police are Changing the Future of Sex Trafficking

HOUSTON, TX - A massive sex sting this week triggered a concerning number of offenders. Law enforcement arrested more than 340 “Johns” since June. Houston has long been know to be a sex hub for human trafficking and prostitution. From the “Johns” arrested last week, many of them were professors, a pastor and even a local police officer. The sex sting ran for a 10 days at a former massage parlor turned brothel called "8 Star Spa" that was taken over by Houston police earlier this month. According to Houston police, "These women are not engaging in prostitution because they want to," Acevedo said. "They're doing it because they're being coerced." Evidence at the scene suggested woman were being help down against their will by shackles in a small "dungeon-like" room.

This recent bust has law enforcement altering their tactics from arresting the prostitutes to targeting the traffickers themselves. According to the DA’s Chief Nathan Beedle from the misdemeanor division, this stems from an effort to go “higher up the chain.” The DA’s office reported that in 2016 they arrested and prosecuted only 700 buyers of sex and approximately 1,400 sellers of sex. To date this year, the department has prosecuted 716 cases against buyers of sex and only prosecuted 601 sellers of sex.

5 facts about Human Sex Trafficking in Houston:

1. It is the fastest growing business of organized crime in the state of Texas.
2. Many young girls are between 12-14 when they begin sex trafficking.
3. Many of the targets for sex trafficking include runaways and immigrants who are not here legally.
4. Traffickers are increasing their social media presence in order to attract victims and sell services.
5. Escaping from being involved with sex trafficking is close to impossible.

Law enforcements new approach to targeting offenders comes after several years of arresting sex sellers many of whom have been forced into prostitution or victimized by abusers, drug dealers and pimps. A local Houston sex crime lawyer, David Breston explains this increase is sex crime arrests is not only coming from local law enforcement changing tactics, but also an increase following Hurricane Harvey. Houston's anti-trafficking team patrolled the shelters following Harvey to help combat and educate residents on the “nexus between natural disasters and human trafficking."

The Mayor’s Anti-Trafficking Objectives

• Institutionalize Response and Implement Trainings at Scale
• Raise Awareness and Change Public Perception
• Coordinate Victim Services and Engage in Direct Outreach
• Implement Joint HAC-HT Initiatives
• Establish Houston as National Model for Anti-Human Trafficking Efforts

In the long run, both the mayor and the DA’s office are combining forces to educate the vulnerable and incarcerate the offenders. The city of Houston's Anti-trafficking plan written by Minel Patel Davis and Chris Graves explains the mayor's office mission is to use the power of the Mayor's office and government officials to raise awareness and public perception. Additionally, their mission is to close breaches and have Houston be a national model for changing human trafficking. By 2018 the mayor's office hopes to “have a coordinated, multi-disciplinary, and diversionary system in place to increase efficiency of service delivery to identified human trafficking victims.” By 2019, the goal is to institutionalize response within the city of Houston and ensure trafficking is structurally addressed on all platforms including the government and the public.

For more information on human trafficking and statistics click here.