Presentation
Criminal Backgrounds of Sex Traffickers - Abstract
Interdisciplinary Conference on Human Trafficking
(2016)
Abstract
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 Court and the U.S.
District Court of Rhode Island. The conviction records for offenders were sorted into
misdemeanor and felony crimes. The convictions were also assigned to three crime
categories: 1) public order crimes, 2) property crimes, and 3) violent crimes. The findings
on the number of crimes committed in these categories of crimes will be reported and
discussed. The number of previous violent crime convictions, particularly for domestic
violence, sexual assault and abuse, and pimping will be discussed. These findings provide
information on the number and types of crimes that sex traffickers have committed and
start to characterize the backgrounds of sex traffickers.
Keywords
- sex trafficking,
- sex traffickers,
- criminal history,
- criminal background
Disciplines
Publication Date
October, 2016
Location
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Citation Information
Alexis Piccirillo, Amelia Davis, Emily Markey and Donna M. Hughes. "Criminal Backgrounds of Sex Traffickers - Abstract" Interdisciplinary Conference on Human Trafficking (2016) Available at: http://works.bepress.com/donna_hughes/50/