According to a report from Washington, Federal officials have arrested almost 700 people, during their three day nationwide crackdown on child prostitution alone. The investigation was spread out over 36 states. They say included in their arrests there were 60 people suspected of being pimps.

The youngest victim found was a 10 year old. “We’re having an enormous impact on this business,” said Ernie Allen, the president of the Center for Missing and Exploited Children. He says most of the children they have recovered were girls who usually become victims of traffickers around the age of 12. Allen estimates that there are 100,000 children still out there involved in sex trafficking in the US which has become a problem partly because of the recession.

“It is repugnant that children in these times could be subjected to the great pain, suffering and indignity of being forced into sexual slavery for someone else’s profits,” said Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer in a statement. He says the later raids show that “the scourge of child prostitution still exists on the streets of our cities.”

This really sickens me. I always heard this was going on but to seeing the numbers as high as this really bothers me. What is it going to take to protect the children of this world. Don’t people know these innocent children are the future of this world? They are not here for us to profit on or to be abused or forced into prostitution. As a rape victim myself I know how it feels being forced into it and I was 18 years old. How is a 10 or a 12 year old supposed to understand what is happening to them at their age? Hell I didn’t even understand it when it happened to me at 18.

As a citizen of the United States I don’t think it is too much to ask our government to sit back and look at the problem right here in this country. I can respect worrying about what is going on in Iraq or Africa or Mexico for that matter but while our government is busy taking care of other countries, our own country is going downhill and we need help ourselves.

If we can’t protect out children then what will? What future does this country have without the children of today? Children are born innocent and they didn’t ask to be brought into this world. The least we can do is protect them now until they can protect themselves. My two sons are grown but I do have three grandsons and I am speaking for them as well here when I say the children need us. Perhaps I am getting too involved emotionally but maybe it is time we all do to make a difference in our country. Slavery is out which includes sexual slavery as well and we don’t want any of it to come back. This is after all suppose to be ‘The Land of the Free’.

God bless all these children. I pray that he watches over all of them. Thank you to all those that feel as I do about this and I ask that the prayers still go out for these precious gifts from God.

Jan Barrett

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