US EditionHere's how one Texas town handled sex trafficking. Experts laud it.
- A team from Lee Enterprises conducted a unique analysis of disciplinary actions taken by 32 states against sex trafficking activities at illicit massage parlors between 2019 and mid-2024.
- This analysis arose because some states lack disciplinary boards, and others restrict access to records, complicating efforts to track disciplinary actions against massage therapists involved in trafficking.
- The team used the National Practitioners Data Bank and Virginia State Police arrest data from 2021 to 2024 to identify disciplinary actions and sex trafficking crime reports nationwide.
- Findings showed that states rarely discipline massage therapists, but disciplinary records for sexual misconduct were identified, and sex trafficking arrests were documented through 2023, the latest data year available.
- The study reveals significant gaps in state-level disciplinary enforcement and public data transparency, suggesting that monitoring and combating sex trafficking in massage businesses remains challenging.
52 Articles
52 Articles
Wisconsin State Journal
How we tackled the sex trafficking investigation
Here’s how the Lee Enterprises Public Service team did a first-of-its-kind analysis of states’ efforts to protect women who are subject to sex trafficking at illicit massage parlors.
Regulating spas targets two crimes - The Woodstock Independent
City aims to stop ‘sexual activities,’ human trafficking hereBy Susan W. Murraynews@the woodstockindependent.comAt its April 15 meeting, Woodstock’s City Council enacted an ordinance to license massage establishments. The purpose, stated […] Subscribe or Login to continue reading this quality article by The Woodstock Independent Start a…
D.A. Bragg Announces Pleas In Sex Trafficking Operation
JONATHAN RUIZ Pleaded Guilty to Trafficking Multiple Women, and Running Prostitution Operation from Rikers While Awaiting Trial Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg today announced the guilty plea of JONATHAN RUIZ, a/k/a “Saiint,” 32, for conspiring to violently traffic multiple women in their mid-twenties, forcing them to engage in commercial sexual acts in at least six states, including New York. RUIZ coerced the women by beating them, bran…
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 94% of the sources are Center
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
Ownership
To view ownership data please Upgrade to Vantage
