SAN DIEGO (Press Release) — San Diego County District Attorney Bonnie M. Dumanis on Thursday, August 14, unveiled a new public awareness campaign that directly confronts the epidemic of human trafficking and sexual exploitation of children. The DA’s Office unveiled billboards across San Diego County in an effort to raise awareness of the staggering number of commercially sexually exploited children in the county and to offer help to those children. In addition, a new web page (ProtectSanDiegoKids.org) features information on how to prevent human trafficking, how to spot it and how to report it if you suspect someone is a victim. An estimated 3.5 million people will see the billboard campaign during the first month.
“Our message is clear. Our community will not tolerate the sale and purchase of children for sex,” DA Dumanis said. “We want everyone in San Diego County to be informed about this public safety crisis and understand how to be a part of the solution. Every exploited child should be offered a way out that is safe and immediate. The billboards that are appearing in San Diego County this week are one important step toward putting an end to this increasing crime.”
Cases prosecuted under state sex trafficking statutes have more than tripled over the past four years in San Diego County. In 2009, the DA’s Office prosecuted nine cases under sex trafficking statutes; in 2012 that number jumped to 40. In 2013, 46 human trafficking cases were submitted to the District Attorney’s Office and 43 defendants were charged. Fifty victims of human trafficking were identified, including nine minors. During the first half of 2014, the DA’s Office filed 23 human trafficking-related cases.
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The FBI has designated San Diego County as a ‘high intensity child prostitution area.’ This form of modern-day slavery is a local and national epidemic and it is imperative that the public realize that children who are forced into selling their bodies are victims of child sexual abuse.
The billboard campaign is a collaboration between the District Attorney’s Office, Clear Channel Outdoor and the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office. Clear Channel donated nine billboards at various locations across San Diego County which will remain up for 30 days and display various public awareness messages targeting the demand that fuels the sexual human trafficking of children. As billboards around the county become vacant, Clear Channel will continue to dedicate a portion of them to the anti-human trafficking message creating a rolling campaign through the end of the year.
Clear Channel and the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System are also providing space on bus shelters for a separate outreach campaign aimed at runaway girls. The bus shelter posters include the National Human Trafficking Resource Center hotline and messaging developed with the help of human trafficking victims.
“Human trafficking is a multi-billion dollar business that impacts all of us and demands greater public awareness to help protect victims,” said Greg McGrath, President of Clear Channel Outdoor – Southern California. “Despite the enormity of the problem, many people don’t know it’s happening right here in San Diego and the victims are often unaware that help is available. At Clear Channel, we embrace our responsibility as community broadcast medium and routinely lend digital billboards and other outdoor media to support to government and nonprofit organizations working to make our communities safer, stronger and healthier. We are proud to stand with the DA’s Office in this important effort.”
If you know someone in your community who needs help escaping human trafficking call the National Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline at 1-888-3737-888 or text BeFree to 233733. In 2013 alone, callers to the hotline referenced 785 cases of human trafficking, including 564 cases of sex trafficking.
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Preceding provided by District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis