What is commercial sexual exploitation?
The terms commercial sexual exploitation and sex trafficking, when used by the general public, are interchangeable. However there are legal distinctions between state based and federal crimes of this nature, wherein the language of the crimes refers to different acts.
Commercial Sexual Exploitation and/ or Sex trafficking is: the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for the purpose of a commercial sex act. This is induced by force, fraud, or coercion/manipulation. For individuals under the age of 18, force, fraud, or coercion does not need to be proven to be considered sex trafficking, although those elements are often present. Additionally, sex trafficking does not just happen to young women, it happens to all genders.
Commercial Sexual Exploitation and/ or Sex trafficking is: the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for the purpose of a commercial sex act. This is induced by force, fraud, or coercion/manipulation. For individuals under the age of 18, force, fraud, or coercion does not need to be proven to be considered sex trafficking, although those elements are often present. Additionally, sex trafficking does not just happen to young women, it happens to all genders.