New Group to Fight Sex Trafficking
By:
DULUTH - Several Northland non-profits are teaming up to put an end to a growing issue in the Twin Ports.
Men as Peacemakers is launching a group called Men Against Sex Trafficking.
The goal is to end the demand for trafficking and mend the harm it's caused its victims.
Congressman Rick Nolan was at the group's launch event Tuesday to talk about two bills he's sponsoring on the issue.
"Number one, these girls will no longer be treated as criminals, they will be treated as what they are, victims. And number two, the men who pay to purchase these illicit sex acts from minors will be prosecuted," said Nolan.
According to the group, Native American women and girls are trafficked at extremely high rates in Duluth.
PAVSA (Program for Aid to Victims of Sexual Assault), AICHO (American Indian Community Housing Organization), MSH (Mending the Sacred Hoop), and other community partners helped launch the group.