Human trafficking is a crime in which a person or organization (trafficker) exploits and profits at the expense of another person through force, fraud or coercion.

In the United States, there are two primary types of human trafficking: sex trafficking and labor trafficking.

Sex trafficking involves the use of force, fraud, or coercion to compel another person to engage in a sex act.

If a person is under 18 is involved in a commercial sex act, it is a crime regardless of the circumstances.

Yes, someone who gives consent can still be exploited. What matters is what a trafficker does, primarily in the form of acts of force, fraud, or coercion, to induce action or prevent someone from leaving.

When creating the rankings of the states, the number of victims is compared to the population of the state. While other states may have a higher number of victims, the number of victims for the population of the state determines the ranking. There are several great resources to better understand how this is analyzed, such as Joslyn Law Firm.

In 2023 the National Human Trafficking Hotline reported that there were 246 new cases identified resulting in 356 new victims.

Safe House Project released a report in January of 2023 ranking state responses to human trafficking. Missouri is listed as #17. The report goes on to detail that they estimate that only 1% of trafficking victims are identified. They estimate that approximately 24,000 people are trafficked through Missouri annually.

Type of Trafficking:

• 83% Sex Trafficking

• 5% Labor Trafficking

• 12%Both

Types of Sex Trafficking:

• 28% Intimate Partner

• 22% Survival Sex

• 20% Manager

• 18% Familial

• 12% Other

Age of victims when seeking services:

• 30% 12-17 years old

• 35% 18-25 years old

• 22% 26-35 years old

• 11% 36-65+ years old

*Data published by Missouri Coalition Against Trafficking and Exploitation