"Perhaps Heather (a pseudonym) slipped through the cracks in the foster care system. Maybe she was a runaway, or a girl struggling with identity and self-esteem issues. Maybe she was just trying to escape from a home where domestic violence, drug use or sexual abuse finally became too much to bear.
They met her at the bus station and were kind. Offering shelter, understanding and sympathy, they loved her and would take care of her. In return, she trusted and loved them.
Then something changed. They used her trust and love to manipulate her. Alcohol, drugs and beatings were a few of the tools they used to force her into prostitution. Her "quota" was $300 a night....
"According to the FSU Center for Advancement of Human Rights, at any given moment there are 30,000 to 40,000 pre-teen and teenage runaways in Florida....
"The National Incidence Studies of Missing, Abducted, Runaway, and Throwaway Children (NISMART-2) indicates that one out of three of these children will be lured and forced to prostitute within 48 hours of being on their own...."
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