Selling Children in America

Conchita Sarnoff.Posted: December 21, 2009 06:39 PM Selling Children in America
What's Your Reaction Child trafficking is a serious business. The latest 2008 United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime report confirms that trafficking of children has become a $67 billion annual worldwide business larger than Nike, Starbucks and Google combined

After weapons and drugs, children have become the third most important commodity to organized crime syndicates the world over, led by the Mexican cartels and closely followed in net annual revenues by the Russian and Ukrainian organized crime mafia.

A 2009 State Department Report confirmed that the United States is now the #1 destination country in the world for trafficked children. The reasons are clear: money and a high demand for underage children to be used for prostitution on "the streets" and online pornography.

Unfortunately, most members of Congress, state and local officials aren't aware of this. I recently met with U.S. Rep Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, the ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, who is a renowned workhorse in Congress, to interview her on the severity of the epidemic; she was shocked at the prevalence and the numbers.

According to the same State Department report, child trafficking is a global epidemic with tentacles that touch every nation at every level from state-run orphanages right up the latter to the most lucrative global industries including reputable modeling agencies.

Other recent government reports confirm that the fiscal aspect of the child trafficking -- that is the supply and demand structure of the global economy -- is such that the risk-reward ratio makes it both highly lucrative as well as nearly impossible to combat, much less eradicate.

Child trafficking in the 21st Century is a nondiscriminatory business: race, age, sex and socioeconomic status make no difference to the trader. The challenge: lack of awareness, resources and little if any law enforcement training. Local and State police who usually are first in line of command to bring the victims into custody are unaware that a T-Visa exists for the eligible trafficked children.

During a conversation with a former government official who wishes to remain anonymous, the Immigration, Customs Enforcement (ICE) budget, during the Bush administration used towards eradicating child trafficking was a mere $5 million out of a total budget of $800 million. Something is wrong with this picture. Still today, three hundred times more money is spent fighting drug trafficking than child trafficking. So how do we solve this?

In my opinion: Our local and state officials need to rethink strategy, reallocate the budgets and train the ``foot soldiers.'' In the meantime, as my friend and former Customs Enforcement Director coined, organize a "zero tolerance" grassroots campaign in every State by appointing local citizens to manage the small groups of community activists and spread the word to raise awareness across their neighborhoods. Over time and with a clear goal in sight these small community groups will grow into a nationwide initiative much like "Mothers against Drunk Drivers".

We owe it to our children and our country to protect innocent life; and in following the footsteps of that once heroic Anglican clergyman, John Newton, composer of the most famous folk hymn "Amazing Grace" the world's enslaved children will finally become "Free at Last".

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