Los Angeles is adopting a new mindset to combat the world’s oldest profession. Prostitution plagues 17 tracks in the city, where men cruise the boulevards and women in tight clothing linger on the corner looking for “dates.”
But rather than see the women as the source of the problem, police and prosecutors are piloting a more enlightened approach. They are treating the women not like criminals, but like victims of sex-trafficking, in many cases controlled by a pimp through force or false promises. Instead, they are going hard after the men, arresting “johns” and pimps in higher numbers, while offering counseling and diversion programs to the women.
Prostitution in Los Angeles: Leaving the life isn’t easy | Children of the Night in Van Nuys helps sex trafficking’s youngest victims | Some pimps control women with violence, others turn on the charm | Cracking down on johns and pimps | Neighbors fight it, the city fights businesses that enable it | Court gives girls in sex trade a second chance | City changes its game to combat sex trade on the streets | Photos and video from this series
