Somebody's Daughter: The Hidden Story of America's Prostituted Children and the Battle to Save Them

Description

They are America's forgotten children, the hundreds of thousands of child prostitutes who walk the Las Vegas Strip, the casinos of Atlantic City, the truck stops on interstates, and the street corners of our cities. Many people wrongly believe sex trafficking involves young women from foreign lands. In reality, the majority of teens caught in the sex trade are American girls--runaways and throwaways who become victims of ruthless pimps. In Somebody's Daughter: The Hidden Story of America's Prostituted Children and the Battle to Save Them , meet the girls who are fighting for their dignity, the cops who are trying to rescue them, and the community activists battling to protect the nation's most forsaken children. Author Julian Sher takes you behind the scenes to expose one of America's most underreported crimes: A girl from New Jersey gets arrested in Las Vegas and, at great risk to her own life, helps the FBI take down a million-dollar pimping empire. An abused teenager in Texas has the courage to take the stand in a grueling trial that sends her pimp away for 75 years. Survivors of the sex trade in New York, Phoenix, and Minneapolis set up shelters and rescue centers that offer young girls a chance to break free from the streets. "The sex trade is the new drug trade," says one FBI special agent, and Somebody's Daughter is a call to action, shining a light on America's dirty little secret.

Julian Sher is an award-winning investigative journalist, TV writer and director, and the author of six books. His analysis and reporting on child abuse has been featured in the New York Times and USA Today and on CNN and the BBC. He lives in Montreal, Quebec.

"If you ever watched Pretty Woman and wondered how Julia Roberts got out on street in the first place -- read this book. Somebody's Daughter exposes the grit behind the glamour, the exploitation behind the elegance, and the violence and abuse that are the true story of the women and children hurt on our own streets, in our own cities in America." -- Laura J Lederer, President, Global Centurion, former senior advisor on trafficking, U.S. Department of State "Unsettling, uncomfortable, unforgettable. Every parent should read Somebody's Daughter , and then share this book with their teen. Knowledge is power." -- Ellen Hopkins, author, "Tricks & Fallout" "A brutally honest look into the hidden world of prostituted children in the United States. A compelling book that will touch hearts and minds and inspire people to take action." -- Rachel Durchslag, Executive Director, Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation "Somebody's Daughter describes America's failure to address the needs of American children forced to prostitute right here in the United States." -- Dr Lois Lee, Founder & President, Children of the Night "Masterful, absorbing ... To date the most definitive account of sex trafficking of children in the United States and the culture that supports it." -- Norma Ramos, executive director, Coalition Against Trafficking of Women "Parents every day suffer the anxiety and sorrow of a daughter or son who has run away or is missing. There are few books as well written, insightful, and motivating as Somebody's Daughter . Julian Sher, in his extraordinarily masterful manner, has brought out the truth of this well-organised, under-recognized and continuously growing threat to children in America". -- Dr Sharon W Cooper, consultant, National Center for Missing & Exploited Children "[A] powerful and compelling book ... as riveting and disturbing as this book is, it is also uplifting and hopeful. [Sher] showcases some modern-day heroes whose courageous efforts are rescuing kids and bringing those who prey upon them to justice. It is inspiring. We need more such heroes." -- Ernie Allen, president & CEO, National Center for Missing and Exploited Children "Compulsively readable account ... that elevates a collection of horrifying statistics into a cinematic, fully dimensional story." -- Bust