Nationally, the U.S. Department of Justice estimates that more than 250,000 youths are at risk of sex trafficking, while Shared Hope International, an antitrafficking organization, estimates the average entry for female victims is 13. Some are as young as 9 years old.
In the Baltimore area, authorities interviewed over the past few months by The Abell Foundation describe a problem spreading beyond the grasp of police, prosecutors, and social work agencies.