Domestic and Intimate Partner Violence Commons^™

Less is known about perpetrators of sex trafficking compared to the victims. The aim of

this study is to learn more about sex traffickers by analyzing the criminal backgrounds of

offenders arrested for sex trafficking crimes. Between 2009 and 2015, there were 22

cases of sex trafficking involving 38 traffickers in Rhode Island. Criminal background

records are publicly available in Rhode Island, so the records for each sex trafficker were

retrieved from the Rhode Island Judiciary Criminal Information online database. In

addition, information on previous convictions was extracted from sentencing memoranda

and other court documents available from Rhode Island Superior …

Identifying victims of sex trafficking can be challenging for law enforcement. To determine how victims were identified in cases of sex trafficking that resulted in criminal charges, this study analyzed the records from prosecuted cases of sex trafficking to determine how the victims were identified. The analysis used primary documents, including police narratives, witness statements, indictments, plea bargains, and sentencing memoranda retrieved from the Superior Court and the U.S. District Court in Rhode Island. Between 2009 and 2015, there were 22 cases of sex trafficking involving 38 traffickers. In these cases, at least 30 victims were identified. The public court …