BAKERSFIELD, CA - A prostitution sting Friday brought in a dozen suspected sex workers. The operation brings attention to not only the issue of buying and selling sex, but also human trafficking.
While twelve women face solicitation charges, there are hundreds more still on the streets. The founder of Magdalene Hope, an organization helping sex workers get out of the industry, says many prostitutes are not criminals, but victims.
Magdalene Hope founder Doug Bennett said, "They're being forced. Usually through threats, family members being injured or harmed. Some girls are tased. Some girls are beaten on their head, to where the bruises don't show up."
Bennett says the majority of prostitutes in Bakersfield aren't choosing to sell their bodies, but are forced, through sex trafficking.
Bennett said, "We would see a quarter of them as criminals or breaking the law, by choice. The other three quarters, or 75%, would be forced to be there. We would look at them as victims."
Bakersfield Police Sergeant Joe Grubbs says it's not known how many prostitutes are in Bakersfield and under what circumstance.
"We've had prostitutes who will come, literally on buses from Fresno, a group of them, and they will conduct their business here in Bakersfield," Grubbs said,
Bennett said, "The I-5 corridor is from Canada to Mexico. The women are moved and trafficked and Bakersfield is one of the stops, being off the 99."
California is ranked as one of the worst states for human trafficking. Last October, a man convicted in Kern County's first human trafficking case was sentenced to 32 years, 8 months in prison. In June, two women were arrested in Oregon for allegedly sex trafficking a 17-year-old Bakersfield girl.
Grubbs said, "Our experience has been, with the sex trafficking, it's usually girls that get involved in it. At some point, that becomes their way of life, their business. I mean, that's what they're doing and it becomes very difficult to get out of."
Bennett said, "We have a victim centered approach. That's really what we're trying to push with law enforcement and just letting the public know we have victims out here who are being, most of them are forced to be out there."
Sergeant Grubbs says sex trafficking isn't suspected in any of these recent arrests. Soliciting prostitution is a misdemeanor charge.
While twelve women face solicitation charges, there are hundreds more still on the streets. The founder of Magdalene Hope, an organization helping sex workers get out of the industry, says many prostitutes are not criminals, but victims.
Magdalene Hope founder Doug Bennett said, "They're being forced. Usually through threats, family members being injured or harmed. Some girls are tased. Some girls are beaten on their head, to where the bruises don't show up."
Bennett says the majority of prostitutes in Bakersfield aren't choosing to sell their bodies, but are forced, through sex trafficking.
Bennett said, "We would see a quarter of them as criminals or breaking the law, by choice. The other three quarters, or 75%, would be forced to be there. We would look at them as victims."
Bakersfield Police Sergeant Joe Grubbs says it's not known how many prostitutes are in Bakersfield and under what circumstance.
"We've had prostitutes who will come, literally on buses from Fresno, a group of them, and they will conduct their business here in Bakersfield," Grubbs said,
Bennett said, "The I-5 corridor is from Canada to Mexico. The women are moved and trafficked and Bakersfield is one of the stops, being off the 99."
California is ranked as one of the worst states for human trafficking. Last October, a man convicted in Kern County's first human trafficking case was sentenced to 32 years, 8 months in prison. In June, two women were arrested in Oregon for allegedly sex trafficking a 17-year-old Bakersfield girl.
Grubbs said, "Our experience has been, with the sex trafficking, it's usually girls that get involved in it. At some point, that becomes their way of life, their business. I mean, that's what they're doing and it becomes very difficult to get out of."
Bennett said, "We have a victim centered approach. That's really what we're trying to push with law enforcement and just letting the public know we have victims out here who are being, most of them are forced to be out there."
Sergeant Grubbs says sex trafficking isn't suspected in any of these recent arrests. Soliciting prostitution is a misdemeanor charge.