It was human trafficking, not prostitution

On the Register's Around Iowa page on Jan. 19, there was an article entitled, "Man's arrest tied to prostitution." The article described charges against an 18-year-old male from Waterloo who exploited two girls, ages 17 and 18, by allegedly forcing them to perform sex acts for money and threatening them if they did not meet his demands.

Although the girls may have stepped into dangerous waters initially, false promises and coercion followed. They were transported from eastern Iowa to Chicago.

The term trafficking implies movement, and in this case, the girls were whisked away, but proof of movement across borders is not required. The charges levied, involuntary sexual servitude of a minor and involuntary servitude, constitute human trafficking, which is against the law in Iowa and against federal law.

As defined under U.S. law, victims of human trafficking can be divided into three populations:

1. Children under age 18 induced into commercial sex.

2. Adults aged 18 or over induced into commercial sex through force, fraud, or coercion.

3. Children and adults induced to perform labor or services through force, fraud, or coercion.

Three days later, the Register ran an excellent article on human trafficking. In it, experts call for increased awareness at all levels: law enforcement, the public, and as we point out today, members of the media. Old habits die hard; let's learn to call it what it is.

— Lynn Rankin, MD, and Dawn Taylor, PhD, co-chairs Plymouth Church Human Trafficking Task Force, Des Moines