The Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children in New York City

Few crimes are more abhorrent than the commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC), yet few are more challenging for communities to address. The United States Department of Justice estimates that the number of children currently involved in prostitution, child pornography, and trafficking may be anywhere between 100,000 and three million (ECPAT 2005). Since these children are often difficult to locate, reluctant to acknowledge their age and exploitation, and potentially engaged by multiple institutions that do not routinely share information (criminal justice, child welfare, educational, and others), it is extremely difficult to assess accurately the true nature and extent of the problem.

In response, the National Institute of Justice provided funding to study the problem in two large metropolitan areas, New York City and Atlanta. These cities were both believed to have a sizable CSEC population, and both had recently implemented demonstration projects funded by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP). A research team from the Center for Court Innovation and the John Jay College of Criminal Justice collaborated on the New York City study, and a team from Georgia State University led the Atlanta study. This executive summary reports the emergent themes and findings from New York City.

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http://www.courtinnovation.org/_uploads/documents/CSEC_NYC_Executive_Summary.pdf