shutting down Backpage seemed like a
victory but was it we have told you
story after story about sex trafficking
the we've interviewed the victims the
pimps and the cops well tonight we are
taking you somewhere we have never gone
before
10news reporter Liz Crawford hit the
streets to show you what it's you know
closing down these websites it's really
not working yeah it certainly doesn't
fix the problem and I have always known
that the sex industry is prevalent here
in Tampa Bay but until I witnessed it
with my own eyes up close and personal I
didn't realize how alarming it really is
I went out with an outreach group who
tries to make connections with women in
the sex industry by offering a bag with
some toiletries and snacks and a little
conversation
but women on the street may not always
have access to hygienic supplies
[Music]
so right now two of the women that we
are with in this vehicle
I've already jumped out and they are
going to approach one of the women that
they saw on the street
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the scary thing was is that he was
charming you know that makes me think
that he was a John you know because he
was very articulate
she's very out of it I mean I don't even
I don't even think she's gonna remember
that conversation
[Music]
[Laughter]
some women move on really quickly and
some women you might get 5-10 minutes
with but that's probably in on a Friday
night
so we're stopping now because the ladies
just spotted a woman on the streets so
we need a gift bag
we need an outreach bag
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I just really wish that that guy didn't
walk up because
maybe there was something she wanted to
say
[Music]
she was like so happy to just take the
outreach bag and then she asked me if I
was pregnant so that was a little bit of
a talking plea when we walked up to her
she was kind of waving down a car and
like just trying to I can only assume
sell herself
[Music]
rasca avenue isn't forgotten that this
is for us like a way to show women that
were there seen people come and visit
and they immediately like what is yeah
what is happening and we're like totally
applied to it it does open your eyes and
it makes you look at your city a little
differently and it's really the
heartbeat of Tampa like we need to look
closer to like our city and like what
makes or what's happening on our own
streets
[Music]
yeah so I'll be honest it was a pretty
intense night I mean for me and my
photographer we both kind of felt like
we got this really unique look at our
city so I mean with the adrenaline was
going
of course approaching these women and
then the men who are approaching them
obviously intense so Liz you talk to law
enforcement about the current state of
sex trafficking what do they tell you so
you know you mentioned it earlier you
can shut down those websites like
Backpage you can shut down the brothels
you can arrest people but the truth is
that the sex industry isn't going
anywhere because the demand is so high
I mean sky high so that's straight track
which is the women out on the streets
that's a constant that's always going to
be there we kind of witnessed that
firsthand but the business model has
gotten so much more sophisticated so
really what you're looking at here are
transnational criminal organizations so
all across the country that have people
recruiting on our local streets and one
thing I hear all the time was is that
it's a victimless crime
that prostitution is a victimless crime
I know reality I know it hurts to hear
that a lot of people think well they
know what they're getting into but it
really is a huge misconception these
women might be adults now but most of
them started out as young girls they
were victimized as young children a
corporal actually with the Pasco County
Sheriff's Office told me that they don't
want to be living in this life almost
100% of them feel trapped they're
brainwashed and so often hooked on drugs
because it's just become that kind of
lifestyle so it is heartbreaking and
they need a pathway out all right Thank
You Liz