Somali Sex Trafficking Ring in Minnesota

A sex ring in Minnesota was discovered after investigators asked a judge for permission to look into a 15-year-old's cell phone records who they believed was the victim of prostitution. They believe the young girl was lured into a large prostitution ring run by Somali gangs. A Somali-American activist named Abdirizak Bihi has counseled about 20 young Somali-American women who have been victims of sex trafficking in the Twin Cities. He says they have ranged in age from 15 to 23 and have grown up in the States. They are often lured in after running away from home because of clashing with strict parents. Bihi is working to educate the Somali community about the crisis with their youth.

It is always hard to learn about sex trafficking rings in the U.S. It is hard to believe that it happens here but we cannot afford to pretend that it does not happen. The more I read about sex trafficking in the U.S. the more I realize how most victims are immigrants who do not feel they have any rights to contact authorities or they are young run aways, or they are both. I hope to continue learning more about the sex trafficking issues here and around the world. The more we educate ourselves on the problem, the more likely we are to find solutions that work.

I thought this article was fairly well written, though I would have liked to learn more about how they found the 15-year-old girl and what led the authorities to believe she was involved in a sex ring.

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