Data is essential to understanding human trafficking patterns, and federal prosecutions data fills a critical gap in the existing ecosystem, shedding light on trends in minor sex trafficking. This presentation will: (i) highlight the importance of federal prosecutions data, (ii) describe the data and analysis developed by Allies Against Slavery, (iii) illustrate key insights, and (iv) demonstrate compelling use cases. First, the presenters will discuss how federal prosecutions data enhances our understanding of minor sex trafficking. By analyzing prosecution trends alongside other data, we gain broader insights into prevention, protection, policy, and prosecution. Second, they will describe a dataset of over 2,500 federally prosecuted human trafficking cases spanning two decades. This includes information on case details, trafficking locations, and victim and defendant characteristics. They will briefly cover the methodology used to ensure data integrity. Third, key trends in minor sex trafficking, including federal prosecutions by state and year, trafficking locations, and demographic data on victims and defendants will be discussed. Data visualizations will illustrate these insights. Finally, the presenters will highlight how this data can be used to examine racial disparities in sentencing, coercive trafficking methods, and the prosecution of victims. Finally, advocacy applications and how this data can be paired with other sources to create a more nuanced narrative on minor sex trafficking in the U.S. will be provided.
Dr. Vanessa Bouché is the Chief Impact Officer at Allies Against Slavery. She has led over $3 million in federally funded research, published extensively, delivered over 50 invited speaking engagements globally, serves as an expert witness, founded a social enterprise to provide employment to trafficking survivors, and is a strategic and impact consultant and board member.