Joe Greene: One child saved from trafficking, but there are so many others

Re “3 teens arrested in Ceres anti-vice sting” (Page 3A, Feb. 17): Thanks for this good news story and congratulations to Ceres police and County Child Welfare Services for supporting victims of human trafficking. These arrests are unfortunately just a small example of the growing brutal exploitation, prostituting and abuse of children and youth in California.

This isn’t just an issue of trafficking immigrants and refugees, but also exploiting vulnerable children and youth everywhere – particularly those involved with child welfare services. Social media is a prime tool to manipulate children struggling with a range of problems stemming from loneliness, family problems, peer challenges, self-esteem and the list goes on. It’s difficult to believe professional pimps can troll Snapchat, Facebook, Instagram, etc., and enter your child’s room through a cell phone. Familiarize yourselves with this insidious issue so we can minimize the terrible consequences to children occurring at the hands of sociopathic perpetrators with little concern for how they use human beings to make money. The problem is a nationwide epidemic deserving equal attention to society’s other challenge, also related to human trafficking, of drug addiction.

This story was originally published February 23, 2017 at 6:03 PM with the headline "Joe Greene: One child saved from trafficking, but there are so many others."