>> AMITA: Sex crimes are a problem here in San Diego.
This month it's been difficult to grasp how wived a�
widespread of a problem it is.
Sex trafficking international is working on figures.
Bianca joins us.
Welcome.
>>> Thank you.
>> AMITA: District attorney said sex trafficking is on the rise in San Diego county.
What is your understanding of how prevalent it is in this region?
>> Unfortunately we don't have all the numbers yet.
There are efforts going on right now to try and get a centralized database of those who
are victims of sex trafficking.
However we know based on the prevalence of service provider organizations and those who
are helping the victim and survivors of sex trafficking that it is on the rise.
They don't have enough space for those who are coming.
Not enough beds, not enough safe houses for those trying to get out of the life.
So based on these key stakeholders, it is on the rise, however, we need to work on quantifying
the issue.
>> AMITA: How young are these girls?
>> Girls as young as 12 and 13 that have been recruited here in San Diego.
They are saying we're looking at efforts that high school may be too late to start preventing
this issue at the high school level that it's starting in middle school.
>> AMITA: One of the challenges in tracking sex trafficking is that these girls are threatened
and beaten by pimps so they won't go forward to authorities and the men who are purchasing
the sex are not going to report what they're participating in.
How are you going to go about tracking these numbers?
Getting the evidence?
>> Well, it's� there are estimates out there as far as the demand side of things, as far
as the Johns.
There are estimates that 10 to 20% of men have admitted to purchasing sex and that's
just those admitting it.
So we know it's a largescale problem.
Also trying to quantify how it's going on here and looking at the issue will be difficult.
>> AMITA: What are some of your preliminary findings about just the problem in general?
>> Preliminary findings that the most atrisk populations, the vulnerable populations are
those who fall prey to the traffickers also know as the pimps, the scope is large.
There is the problem from north county down to� throughout San Diego county.
They're saying that the service providers do find that they don't have enough room for
the victims and survivors that people are reaching out to them but they don't necessarily
have the beds or the safe spaces, so, you know, we know as far as an issue that it's
larger than we can handle right now.
>> AMITA: You're also looking at sex trafficking in neighboring Tijuana.
How does that compare to San Diego county?
>> Well, we are just starting that assessment, but we suspect that we know that the problem
is there are brothels in Tijuana, organized crime is involved as far as trafficking, cartels,
maffia, the issue of young girls being solicited and coerceded into this is a large problem.
So we know on the surface what's going on but want to look deeper at the root causes,
where these girls are coming from and how it can be prevented.
>> AMITA: The girls that are brought in by pimps into this lucrative business are society's
must vulnerable and they're as young as 11 and 12 as you mentioned.
How do you go about trying to stop this crime consider that go they are so vulnerable, they
don't come forward to report?
How does anyone reach them?
>> It's a good question because sometimes reaching out to schools and having curriculums
in schools may not be reaching those who are part of the atrisk population.
So looking at juvenile hall, for instance, look at social services, those who are part
of the system and knowing that they've suffered a childhood trauma have been in foster care,
knowing those are the populations that are at risk for going into sex trafficking and
targeting them as a prevention group.
>> AMITA: Bianca thanks for coming on the program today.
>>> Thank for having me.