The Global Surge in Sex Trafficking: How the Digital Age Fuels a Growing Crisis
In November 2022, 44-year-old Carney Turner was sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty to multiple sex trafficking charges. He ran an underage prostitution ring, using social media to recruit his victims—an alarming tactic that has become increasingly common in the 21st century.
Turner’s case is not an isolated incident. In a high-profile federal case, Matthew Isaac Wolfe pleaded guilty in July 2022 to conspiring to commit sex trafficking. Wolfe lured at least 15 young women into filming adult videos for his now-defunct pornographic website, GirlsDoPorn, under false pretenses. These cases highlight a disturbing reality: sex trafficking is not only increasing but evolving in alarming ways, fueled by the reach and anonymity of digital platforms.
Sex Trafficking in the Digital Age
Criminals no longer need to lurk in dark alleyways or red-light districts. Instead, they exploit social media, mobile apps, and encrypted messaging services to recruit and control their victims. University of South Florida criminology professor Joan Reid explains, “It is a byproduct of our connectedness in the digital age. It is much easier for traffickers to get access to vulnerable people.”
In Turner’s case, investigators discovered disturbing Facebook messages exchanged between him and an underage girl in Omaha, Nebraska. He transported her to various budget hotels, where she was forced into commercial sex acts and turned over all her earnings to him. In their conversations, he referred to himself as “daddy” and reinforced that “she needed to realize he was in charge.” Similar recruitment methods have become a hallmark of modern-day trafficking operations.
A Growing Crisis: The Alarming Rise of Global Sex Trafficking
The numbers paint a grim picture. Reports from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the International Labor Organization (ILO) confirm a sharp increase in sex trafficking cases worldwide. Between 2016 and 2021, the number of victims of forced commercial sexual exploitation surged by nearly 24 percent, reaching 6.3 million globally.
In North America alone, statistics from the UN’s drug and crime office show a troubling trend. Between 2015 and 2018, both the number of identified victims and criminal prosecutions related to sex trafficking climbed significantly. Federal sex trafficking convictions in the U.S. rose by 8 percent between 2017 and 2018, while the number of victims skyrocketed from 3,800 in 2016 to nearly 9,000 in 2018.
How Technology Shields Traffickers
The internet has made sex trafficking more accessible, profitable, and difficult to combat. Online advertisements for sex work allow traffickers to operate discreetly, making it easier to exploit victims and evade law enforcement. John Rode, a private investigator and retired police detective, has spent years tracking down runaway teens forced into sex work. He describes how modern trafficking networks operate:
“You click on these ads and you’ll see pages of almost or fully naked women, their measurements, and what services they offer. You text them, and within 10 to 15 minutes, they’ll respond. It’s all anonymous, and the transactions happen instantly.”
Financial apps like Zelle, Venmo, and CashApp have also made it easier for traffickers to manage transactions while avoiding detection. Rode explains that undercover officers attempting sting operations rarely send advance payments, making it easier for traffickers to identify and avoid law enforcement.
From Luxury Hotels to Fake Salons: The Hidden World of Sex Trafficking
Sex trafficking isn’t confined to back alleys. Victims are often hidden in plain sight, working out of high-end hotels, budget motels, and even seemingly legitimate businesses like nail salons and massage parlors. In one case, Rode discovered a trafficking ring operating out of an upscale office building. After months of collecting evidence, he convinced the property owner to evict them—only to find the same operation had relocated to a nail salon down the street a week later.
Despite laws designed to crack down on trafficking, enforcement remains weak. A South Florida Sun Sentinel investigation found that regulators issued more than 14,000 citations to over 6,600 hotels and inns for violating anti-trafficking laws. Yet not a single business was fined.
Why Traffickers Continue to Evade Justice
Traffickers are not only exploiting technology to expand their operations—they’re also using it to stay one step ahead of the law. Many use identity-masking apps or rely on third parties to book hotel rooms in an effort to avoid detection. Some even gain VIP status at hotels due to their frequent bookings, earning free upgrades that further obscure their operations.
Reid notes that traffickers are well-versed in forensic countermeasures. “They understand the risks and analyze all the ways they could get caught. They always have a front person who takes the fall.” This strategic layering of criminal activity makes it incredibly difficult for law enforcement to connect traffickers to their victims.
The Fight Against Sex Trafficking: Can We Keep Up?
The digital age has made sex trafficking a more pervasive and complex crime, one that law enforcement struggles to combat. With traffickers exploiting technology faster than authorities can develop countermeasures, the crisis continues to escalate.
While high-profile convictions like those of Turner and Wolfe offer hope, they represent only a fraction of the problem. As traffickers continue to evolve their tactics, the fight against modern-day slavery requires more resources, stronger legislation, and innovative enforcement strategies.
