Policing Sex Trafficking in the ‘Virtual Red-Light District’: A Research Note
Abstract
:- Particularly explicit photographs (e.g., more explicit than other ASW profiles);
- Use of third person language in the advert (e.g., ‘she’/‘they’);
- Poor use of language with spelling mistakes and broken English;
- A low price for sexual services, relative to the local marketplace;
- A wide range of sexual services offered with seemingly no limits;
- Being advertised as ‘in-calls only’—suggesting lack of independence/autonomy and control of movement;
- References to spas and massage parlours;
- Indicators of recent arrival/movement e.g., ‘new in town’/‘just arrived’.
- The STIM proved to be a user-friendly tool which enabled a relatively rapid sifting of low-, medium- and high-risk ASW profiles. This allowed officers and analysts to prioritise their resources more effectively towards higher risk profiles and ensured some degree of consistency and rigour in their initial examination of ASW profiles.
- A key benefit of the STIM is its ability to align to the local marketplace for sex work and human trafficking for the purposes of sexual exploitation. Different geographical areas tend to show variances in some aspects of the local sex work marketplace, including differences around pricing of sexual services, the use of massage parlours or the ethnic backgrounds of trafficked women. The STIM can be rapidly altered by users to mould around these local variances, meaning that it could potentially be adapted by other forces in different areas.
- The danger of false positives remains. In one instance, the STIM identified an ASW profile as highly indicative of trafficking but further investigation revealed the profile to be used by an independent sex worker. The indicators flagged by the STIM in this instance were false positives. This is a useful reminder of the limitations of analytical tools such as the STIM, and it reinforces the importance of using such tools within a broader suite of other risk assessment measures.
- Although analytical tools such as the STIM can complement investigatory efforts, police officers’ experience and knowledge remain a key component of these investigations. Knowledge of the local marketplace, intelligence on known offenders and existing contacts with sex workers were all deployed alongside the use of the STIM by officers and analysts during the study. This key occupational expertise and experience was critical in mitigating the limitations of the STIM and maximising its potential benefits.
Funding
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
1 | A detailed account of the research has been published as (L’Hoiry et al. 2021). |
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L’Hoiry, X.; Moretti, A.; Antonopoulos, G.A. Policing Sex Trafficking in the ‘Virtual Red-Light District’: A Research Note. Soc. Sci. 2022, 11, 319. https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci11080319
L’Hoiry X, Moretti A, Antonopoulos GA. Policing Sex Trafficking in the ‘Virtual Red-Light District’: A Research Note. Social Sciences. 2022; 11(8):319. https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci11080319
Chicago/Turabian StyleL’Hoiry, Xavier, Alessandro Moretti, and Georgios A. Antonopoulos. 2022. "Policing Sex Trafficking in the ‘Virtual Red-Light District’: A Research Note" Social Sciences 11, no. 8: 319. https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci11080319