MPR News with Angela Davis

Sex trafficking in Minnesota: How to spot it, prevent it and intervene

Back View of a Young Woman Sitting on a Field by the Water
Sex trafficking can happen to anyone of any gender, and it can happen all over the state of Minnesota.
Umut Sarıalan for Pexels

Eleven people were arrested in St. Paul last month in a human trafficking scheme and four victims/survivors were found.

This isn’t an isolated incident. Human trafficking, including sex trafficking, happens all over Minnesota and affects people of all genders.

At least 5,000 Minnesotans between the ages of 15 to 19 years old have traded sex for something of value, according to data from the 2019 Student Survey

That number could be higher because it doesn’t count teenagers who weren’t in school on the day of the survey.

More than 20,000 ads are posted online in Minnesota each month to sell victims for sex, according to the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, a Division of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety.

MPR News host Angela Davis speaks with Minnesotans who work on sex trafficking prevention and intervention, and survivors.

If you or someone you know is in immediate danger of being trafficked, you can contact: 

Sex trafficking experts
MPR News host Angela Davis (center) with guests (left to right) Rachel Pearson from the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Caroline Palmer from Safe Harbor Minnesota, Shannon Rohne with The Link and Christine Stark, an award-winning writer, researcher and survivor.
Danelle Cloutier | MPR News

Guests:

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