Human trafficking is central issue of women's conference

Published: 2008-04-03

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (CNS) -- A 15-year-old girl in Wisconsin walked to a park near her home. She met a young man. The two young people talked, flirted, laughed. The young man offered marijuana to the girl. In this case, as related by FBI Special Agent Minerva Shelton, the joint was probably laced with another drug. The man raped the girl. She blacked out, regaining consciousness in Chicago, where the man forced the girl into prostitution. She traveled between Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. Her pimp moved her to Sacramento when she was 16. Domestic human trafficking, as illustrated by this case, was the focal point of the first annual Catholic Women's Conference held recently at the Diocesan Pastoral Center in Sacramento. A central issue was the retrieval and treatment of children working as prostitutes in Sacramento. "It's a national issue and it's also local," said Shelton, "and the way we're going to solve it is by people coming together to help. I'm glad that the Catholic Church is aware of the problem and taking interest." Shelton and Sgt. Pamela Seyffert and Detective Kristi Morse of the Sacramento Police Department -- all members of the department's Task Force on the Sexual Exploitation of Minors -- presented the facts of life for girls ages 11 to 17 living on the streets. As an FBI agent, Shelton focuses on children who are moved across state lines. Some are abducted. Some are lured into liaisons with men through contact on the Internet, according to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

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