Sex trafficking is still a big problem in the First State, and nationwide, according to advocates.
While state legislation in 2014 increases penalties for traffickers and provides some relief to victims, Zoe Ministries Executive Director Yolanda Schlabach says much more needs to be done to combat the problem.
Delaware Public Media’s Megan Pauly caught up with her after her TEDx Wilmington talk.
Just last Monday, two Sussex County men were charged for their connection to at least eight sex trafficking victims.
Schlabach gave a TEDx Wilmington talk Wednesday and insisted that sex trafficking is often misunderstood – with people judging prostitutes without realizing many aren’t acting out of their own free will.
“The population of human trafficking victims that we currently refer to as prostitutes are probably one of the most marginalized and misunderstood sub-populations that we have in our country, and in the state of Delaware," she said.
She says many sex trafficking victims -- including prostitutes -- are misunderstood, with victims afraid to seek help from police and others for fear of retaliation by their trafficker.
“It could be something like…if you report this to anybody, I’m going to hurt your family. Or they’ll kill the family dog and shove it in the mailbox to send a message, I’m not afraid to do harm to your family and that’s how they keep them in line sometimes, they keep them under their control," she said.
Schlabach says 300,000 minors are trafficked across the country every year, and there are less than 450 beds in the U-S just for them.
Her goal is to open an after-care facility for underage, female sex trafficking victims living in the US, in and from Delaware. But she says they currently lack funding for the six to eight bed facility.
She says the First State needs to better protect victims and help prevent sex trafficking from happening in the first place through stronger social programs.
“When you have a grandparent or a parent that’s selling their 13-year-old daughter on the weekend so they can pay their rent or pay their utility bills, we have a child who doesn’t stand a chance if don’t have a state with a system in place to help that kid," she said.
There need to be more arrests of pimps and customers as well to send a strong message that Delaware is no longer a “safe haven” for traffickers, according to Schlabach.