While many have heard the term "Pizzagate,"  so accurately dubbed "Pedo-Gate" by Steve Quayle, which began with claims that information found on Anthony Weiner's lap top revealed the existence of a pedophilia ring. From there it snowballed after Wikileaks released the Podesta emails, where references to food, such as "Hot Dogs," Pizza," "Cheese,"  and others were  claimed to have been "keyword" references to children and sex.

We have been asked here at ANP why we haven't reported on "Pizzagate," and our response was simple, there was so much true information mixed in with so much disinformation (most likely by people trying to discredit Alternative Media), that separating the two is, in and of itself, a full time job.

That response stands....... but with all the reporting of "conspiracy theory," and claims that all of "Pizzagate" is just "Fake News," what the MSM and many others are missing, is the chance to use this issue in an attempt to finally get Americans to acknowledge and engage in an issue that has been ongoing and which affects children in all 50 states.

CHILD SEX TRAFFICKING IN AMERICA IS REAL

Child sex trafficking is an ugly reality, it is something that Americans would rather not look too deeply into, and yet right now with "Pizzagate" driving headlines all across the internet, is the perfect time to highlight the statistics, the numbers, the very lucrative business it has become not only across the world, but right here in America.

In 2014 it was reported that over 100,000 child in America, a year, were victims of sex trafficking, and those numbers are low because many of the victims are silenced because they are still enslaved. According to some reports, there are 100,000 to 300,000 underage girls being sold for sex in America each year. Those numbers do not represent the overall totals when those not considered minors are included.

According to the International Labour Organization in 2014, worldwide, whether it is sexual exploitation or economic exploitation, trafficking has become a very lucrative business for traffickers, bringing them &150 billion a year.

The ILO report, Profits and Poverty: The Economics of Forced Labour , said two thirds of the estimated total of US$ 150 billion, or US$ 99 billion, came from commercial sexual exploitation, while another US$ 51 billion resulted from forced economic exploitation, including domestic work, agriculture and other economic activities.

In Septemeber 2016, Fact Retriever published "55 Little Know Facts About human Trafficking," with a few pertinent to this article shown below.

- Approximately 75-80% of human trafficking is for sex

- An estimated 30,000 victims of sex trafficking die each year from abuse, disease, torture, and neglect. Eighty percent of those sold into sexual slavery are under 24, and some are as young as six years old.

- Although human trafficking is often a hidden crime and accurate statistics are difficult to obtain, researchers estimate that more than 80% of trafficking victims are female. Over 50% of human trafficking victims are children.

- Most human trafficking in the United States occurs in New York, California, and Florida. - Sex traffickers often recruit children because not only are children more unsuspecting and vulnerable than adults, but there is also a high market demand for young victims. Traffickers target victims on the telephone, on the Internet, through friends, at the mall, and in after-school programs.

- Belgium, Germany, Greece, Israel, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Thailand, Turkey, and the U.S. are ranked very high as destination countries of trafficked victims.

- Women are trafficked to the U.S. largely to work in the sex industry (including strip clubs, peep and touch shows, massage parlors that offer sexual services, and prostitution). They are also trafficked to work in sweatshops, domestic servitude, and agricultural work.

- Human trafficking is one of the fastest growing criminal enterprises because it holds relatively low risk with high profit potential. Criminal organizations are increasingly attracted to human trafficking because, unlike drugs, humans can be sold repeatedly.

- In approximately 54% of human trafficking cases, the recruiter is a stranger, and in 46% of the cases, the recruiters know the victim. Fifty-two percent of human trafficking recruiters are men, 42% are women, and 6% are both men and women.

- Human traffickers often work with corrupt government officials to obtain travel documents and seize passports.

- Human trafficking has been reported in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and in some U.S. territories.

Below is the 2015 annual statistical report from the National Human Trafficking Resource Center (NHTRC). The following information is based on incoming signals made to the NHTRC from January 1, 2015 – December 31, 2015 about human trafficking cases and issues related to human trafficking in the United States and U.S. territories. Signals refer to incoming communications with the NHTRC and can take the form of phone calls, online tip reports, or emails. Signals regarding topics unrelated to human trafficking are not included in this report. In 2015, the NHTRC received a total of 24,757 signals nationwide.

On page three and four of the embedded document below are a list of states with the number of reports rceived in each state.

NHTRC 2015 United States Report - USA uploaded by Susan Duclos on Scribd

HOW TO IDENTIFY A VICTIM OF CHILD HUMAN TRAFFICKING

The U.S. Department of Education provides some tell-tale signs that school staff and administrators should be on the lookout for to identify a victim, and while these signs are geared toward identifying victims that are still allowed to attend school, many can also apply to friends, family or community members, as well.

Demonstrates an inability to attend school on a regular basis and/or has unexplained absences; Frequently runs away from home; Makes references to frequent travel to other cities; Exhibits bruises or other signs of physical trauma, withdrawn behavior, depression, anxiety, or fear; Lacks control over his or her schedule and/or identification or travel documents; Is hungry, malnourished, deprived of sleep, or inappropriately dressed (based on weather conditions or surroundings); Shows signs of drug addiction; Has coached/rehearsed responses to questions; Demonstrates a sudden change in attire, personal hygiene, relationships, or material possessions; Acts uncharacteristically promiscuous and/or makes references to sexual situations or terminology that are beyond age-specific norms; Has a “boyfriend” or “girlfriend” who is noticeably older; Attempts to conceal recent scars.

To report suspected trafficking crimes, get help, or learn more about human trafficking from a nongovernmental organization, call the toll-free (24/7) National Human Trafficking Resource Center at 1-888-373-7888

To report suspected human trafficking crimes or to get help from law enforcement, call toll-free (24/7) 1-866-347-2423 or submit a tip online at www.ice.gov/tips.

To report sexually exploited or abused minors, call the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s (NCMEC) hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST, or report incidents at http://www.cybertipline.org.