Child trafficking, particularly for sexual exploitation, has increased dramatically in the United States over the past 15 years, and the numbers of victims continue to rise each year.

"The average age keeps getting younger and younger -- for girls, it's now 12," says activist and novelist Heather Huffman (www.heatherhuffman.net), whose newest book, Devil in Disguise, aims to raise awareness of the problem.  "The rise of the internet is a huge part of the problem, and society has found no effective way to address it."

In fact, she says, those who profit from the internet seem determined to thwart safeguards. Social media giant Facebook, she notes, is working on technology that would allow it to circumvent federal law by allowing children 13 and younger to become members. And in June, a website that advertises escort services successfully sued to stop Washington state from enforcing its new law requiring publishers to verify the ages of people in sex ads.

"The law was intended to help prevent trafficking children," Huffman says. "Other states have similar laws either soon to take effect or in the works, and this ruling threatens that potentially effective preventative measure."

The plaintiff in the Washington suit was Backpage.com, the second-largest online classified ad service in the country. Such websites, including the biggest, Craigslist, regularly post ads for escort services and the like, Huffman notes. They make it easier than ever for traffickers to appeal to a mass audience for paying customers.

They, along with social media sites where children freely chat and post photos of, and information about, themselves, account for much of the growth in domestic child trafficking, she and others say.

"When we place our children's pictures on sites like Facebook, or allow them to do so, we're adding them to a human trafficking catalog," Huffman says.

Whether you're a parent, an educator, a law enforcement or another adult who deals with children, she offers these suggestions for helping prevent, recognize and stop the trafficking of children.

• Watch for repeated unexplained absences from school. Children being used for prostitution often don't attend school regularly and seem to have no control over their schedule or personal identification papers. They may talk of frequently traveling to other cities. People working in shelters, courts and law enforcement should strive to identify whether children detained as runaways, truants or for drug-related offenses are actually trafficking victims. They are often too afraid or ashamed to volunteer the information.

• Be alert to physical problems. These children tend to be underfed and inappropriately clothed. They may have bruises and other evidence of trauma. They're often fearful and/or withdrawn, and may show signs of drug addiction.

• Lobby for legislation in your state to make all minors immune to criminal prostitution charges. Some states, including Illinois and Tennessee immunize anyone younger than 18 from prostitution charges. Connecticut immunizes children 15 and younger, and requires a presumption by law enforcement that 16- and 17-year-olds are victims. Huffman and other experts say that charging and jailing trafficking victims compounds their trauma and prevents them from seeking help, since they feel they can't trust law enforcement. It also unfairly burdens them with an arrest record for being a victim! Find out the status of your state and lobby for change, if necessary.

• See if your city's mayor has joined an ad boycott of Village Voice Media. In 2011, the mayor of Seattle asked Village Voice to protect the city's children by ensuring they were not being advertised on its website, www.backpage.com. When the corporation failed to respond, he pulled city advertising from all its publications. Other mayors have since followed suit. At www.sharedhope.org, you'll find a list of mayors who have yet to take action. If yours is on the list, click to send him or her a letter. Get to the list by clicking the "Get Involved" tab, and then "Join the campaign."

"Solving this problem is the responsibility of all adults," Huffman says. "If you don't believe it can happen in your family, be aware that runaways are now targeted, on average, within 48 hours of leaving home. And even 'normal' kids sometimes get mad and run away, if only for a day. It's horrifying to imagine the disastrous results a momentary pique of childish temper might have."

About Heather Huffman

Heather Huffman is a writer, former human relations specialist and mother of three, whose 12-year-old son has started his own group to fight human trafficking, 61 Strong. She is the author of six previous books in the romance fiction genre, including "Throwaway" and its prequel, "Tumbleweed." A portion of proceeds from sales of "Devil in Disguise" will benefit groups fighting human trafficking.

CHICAGO - August 13, 2012. Governor Pat Quinn today issued a statement regarding recent violent crimes committed against Illinois Muslim centers.

"I am saddened to learn of two recent violent crimes against Illinois Muslims in Morton Grove and Lombard. We should all be able to agree that there is no place in Illinois for hate crime and religious intolerance.

"No matter what faith you may practice, attacks on places of worship are just plain wrong and do not reflect the values of the people of Illinois."

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Property Taxpayers Far More Protected With Comprehensive Pension Reform That Includes Responsibility for School Districts Than Without

CHICAGO - August 5, 2012. Governor Quinn released data today prepared by the Illinois Office of Management & Budget (OMB) that shows without comprehensive pension reform, Illinois will spend more on pensions than education by Fiscal Year 2016. The budget office performed the district-by-district analysis based on current projections to examine the long-term funding challenges of the state if comprehensive pension reform is not enacted. The analysis was released just days after Governor Quinn called a special session dedicated to pension reform on August 17.

"Illinois cannot continue down this path at the expense of our children," Governor Quinn said. "We must enact comprehensive pension reform that eliminates the unfunded liability to repair our pension system and give the next generation the education they deserve."

Under current actuarial assumptions, required state pension contributions will rise to over $6 billion in the next few years if no comprehensive pension reform is enacted, which will continue to result in significant cuts to education. According to the analysis, continued cuts to education as a result of fast-rising pension costs will cost downstate and suburban school districts far more than assuming the responsibility to pay for their compensation decisions over time.

For example, if comprehensive pension reform is enacted that includes a phased-in normal cost realignment, downstate and suburban school districts would assume $49 million in new normal pension costs in Fiscal Year 2014. However, if no such reform is adopted, downstate and suburban school districts would instead see their budgets reduced by $152 million, according to current projections.

School districts would be far more protected from a property tax increase with comprehensive pension reform that includes the responsibility to pay for compensation decisions, than they would be without.

Every day that Illinois' pension crisis goes unresolved, the unfunded pension liability grows by $12.6 million. Without comprehensive pension reform, funding for key services such as education will continue to be squeezed out. Governor Quinn has proposed a comprehensive pension reform plan that eliminates the unfunded liability over the next 30 years and includes a phased-in normal cost realignment that would ensure school districts have a stake in the contracts they negotiate.

The complete analysis is here: https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=gmail&attid=0.2&thid=1390323739d0f14e&mt=application/pdf&url=https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui%3D2%26ik%3D7484cc5eec%26view%3Datt%26th%3D1390323739d0f14e%26attid%3D0.2%26disp%3Dsafe%26zw&sig=AHIEtbR6Iq0Q76lUOPsI0_r7eOwQL-E3-A.

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Gives Prosecutors New Tool and Increases Protections for Survivors

CHICAGO - August 4, 2012. Governor Pat Quinn today signed a new law to help law enforcement agencies crack down on human traffickers. The new law strengthens prosecutors' ability to go after pimps while offering greater protection and help for survivors. The legislation passed unanimously in the Illinois Senate and House, with the support of human rights advocates and Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez.

"This tragic trade should not exist in the State of Illinois," Governor Quinn said. "Today we are giving prosecutors new tools, trafficking survivors new hope and those who break the law new reasons to fear the long arm of justice."

House Bill 5278, sponsored by Rep. Kelly Cassidy (D-Chicago) and Sen. Jacqueline Collins (D-Chicago), increases protection for those forced into sexual servitude, gives authorities new power to apprehend traffickers and boosts resources for survivors' support services. Such services empower survivors - who are often runaways, abused children or immigrants - to start fresh.

"The goal of this new law is simple: to give prosecutors a bigger arsenal in the war on those who profit from another human being's suffering," Rep. Cassidy said.

"Pimps have gotten more sophisticated in their schemes and tactics," State's Attorney Alvarez said. "The sexual services of our young people are not for sale. This is a powerful new law and we will not hesitate to use it."

The new law amends the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act, Predator Accountability Act, Juvenile Court Act of 1987 and others. It redefines "serious harm" to include non-physical forms of coercion, such as psychological intimidation or withholding a passport. The law also broadens the term "involuntary servitude" and extends the statute of limitations to prosecute those who exploit minors. In addition, it strengthens the Illinois Safe Children Act of 2010 by changing the formula for distributing the fee for impounding perpetrators' vehicles. Instead of distributing the $1,000 fee to local governments, $500 will go to the arresting law enforcement agency and $500 will go to provide support services to sex trade survivors.

The National Human Trafficking Resource Center reports that Illinois generated the 5th highest number of calls to its hotline. Current anti-trafficking laws fail to address some tactics used by pimps, such as non-physical intimidation.

"Traffickers often use lies and manipulation to bring people into the sex trade. This bill strengthens Illinois law in a way that will enable prosecutors to bring these traffickers to justice," said Lynne Johnson, director of policy and advocacy for the Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation (CAASE). CAASE is the lead agency for End Demand Illinois, a campaign to refocus law enforcement's attention on pimps, johns and traffickers, while proposing supportive services for people impacted by the sex trade.

Other proponents include the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, Polaris Project, Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault, Catholic Conference of Illinois, National Association of Social Workers - Illinois Chapter, Protestants for the Common Good, Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence, 8^th Day Center for Justice, Salvation Army, YWCA of Metropolitan Chicago and others. The law is effective Jan. 1, 2013.

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