Toronto

Missing person reports come into Toronto Police stations every day.

The vulnerable girls (and boys) coerced into sex work come from every race, creed and socio-economic background and some are as young as 12.

Human trafficking in our city is big business.

And worldwide, it’s a multibillion-dollar industry.

Last week, Toronto law enforcement officials launched a new human trafficking awareness initiative — a campaign to educate travellers (and people who work the travel industry) about the signs of human trafficking.

Watch for young girls who are malnourished or bruised in the company of older men; who have been sexualized through their clothes and makeup, despite their youth; who have expensive belongings or accessories but no visible means of support; who seem disoriented or afraid of their older companions and let them do the talking.

What should parents or other adults look for to help prevent kids from being groomed by predators and lured into the trade?

Det. David Correa has plenty to say on that subject.

Human trafficking has been around forever, but the days when it was assumed sex workers had entered the trade of his or her own free will are over.

Bottom line: Underage boys and girls are being exploited.

“The more we dig into the circumstances of the sex trade,” says Correa, “The more we see there’s usually a vulnerability of some kind involved.”

In Ontario, anyone under the age of 16 can be apprehended as a child in need of protection. Consent is not a factor.

“The reality is that these individuals have a higher rate of drug use, sexual assault, and suicide,” says Correa. “The goal is to be consistent with other provinces, where the power of apprehension goes all the way up to the age of 18.”

Here’s what else he had to say:

• Stability in the home

“Is there neglect? Is there abuse? Are there healthy relationships in the home? Are there parenting issues such as addiction or mental health? These are considerations,” says Correa. And in his opinion, he adds, the father figure can play a big role.

“Is the father neglectful or absent?”

Of course, there are always exceptions to all this.

“We’ve had cases from perfectly stable, supportive homes. Other things creep in. There’s no exact road map to involvement.”

• Social media

Many young people are heavily involved in social media and it’s a large part of almost every kid’s life. Some teens spend the whole day in their rooms with an iPad or computer — that’s hardly unusual. “But sometimes parents are not engaged with who their friends are on Facebook or Instagram,” says Correa.

“Some of the steps you can take are simple — say to your kids, ‘Yes, you can go on Facebook, but you have to ‘friend’ me, and yes, you can have an Instagram account, but it can’t be locked.’” The point is to prevent any secret little conversations.

A parent needs to know when someone unknown says on social media: “Hey! Great picture — you should be a model!”

• Behavioural changes

This is a tough one, concedes Correa, because teens can be moody or withdrawn on any given day and it could be just part of growing up.

“But be aware. And look for expensive clothes that can’t be paid for, or changes in language — looser use of sexual terms, for example.”

And please, adds the detective, “if you think your postal code will protect your kid, you’re kidding yourself. We have had cases with the children of doctors, lawyers, police officers and teachers. When you talk about human trafficking, people think of shipping containers on a boat coming from somewhere far away. No. I’ve never seen one case like that. Victims are the regular girl next door.”

• Sometimes the recruiter is another female

This one is huge. Some victims encounter another girl who has already gone through stages of exploitation — and she lures them in. The only way to save her own hide, and get to stop working 10 hours day, is to bring in someone new.

“It’s a survival tactic,” says Correa.

“That’s when the water gets murky for us,” he says. “In terms of doing right by one victim, are we revictimizing another? People should know: It’s not always the sharks. Sometimes it’s mermaids who come by to lure them in.”

• The demand component

So long as anyone is willing to pay for sex with children, trafficking will continue.

That’s the sad truth.

“And that’s a big challenge,” says Correa. “But there are new laws in place now regarding the purchasing component.” Current laws lean on those doing the buying, not the selling.

“We are getting ready to roll out training,” Correa says confidently.

Got that, Johns?

“There will be a rise in enforcement in the months to come.”

lbraun@postmedia.com