Sex Trafficking

Federally funded police task forces carry out thousands of online stings each year, despite little evidence that they prevent abuse.

Offices across the state conduct operations under the guise of saving victims of human trafficking. But the vast majority of people detained, including sex workers, are charged with prostitution.

A new coalition of people in the sex trades wants New York to become the first state to fully decriminalize their work.

A ban on dancers under 21 raises questions on the growing role of the state’s Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control in policing clubs.

Experts say playing up the risk of sex trafficking fuels anxiety and criminalization.