logo
Please note!
This fact brief was originally published as an experiment to test the concepts behind fact briefs.
Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of useful information in fact briefs like this one, not all of them reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.

Is there evidence that posters advertising jobs for teenagers are actually sex trafficking schemes?

By Christiana Dillard
NO

According to representatives for anti-sex trafficking organizations, such posters are not known to be tied to sex trafficking, although they have been linked to labor schemes.

A picture of one poster purportedly seeking "teens for after school job" has appeared on social media periodically since 2016, usually with a warning from the person posting that the job pitch is a ruse by sex traffickers.

But a spokesperson for Polaris, a nonprofit organization fighting against sex and labor trafficking, told Lead Stories that the organization has not seen the use of posters as a recruitment tool for sex traffickers.

Likewise, Richard Aronson, director of communications at Shared Hope International, a survivor-focused, sex trafficking prevention organization, told Lead Stories: "Sex traffickers do not usually advertise this way. They are much more discreet and use long-term tactics to coerce kids into sexual exploitation."

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR
Lead Stories is a fact checking and debunking website at the intersection of big data and journalism that launched in 2015. It scouts for trending stories, images, videos and posts that contain false information in order to fact check them as quickly as possible. It actively monitors the fake-news ecosystem and doesn’t wait for reader tips or reports before getting started on a story.
FACT BRIEF BY
facebook
twitter
email
email