Since 2010, January has been recognized as National Slavery and Human Traffick­ing Month.

Each year, strides are being made to bring awareness to this modern-day form of slavery where youth and adult victims are controlled through force, fraud, or coercion to exploit them for forced labor, sexual exploitation or both. Domestic minor sex trafficking occurs when children, under the age of 18, are commercially sexually exploited through prostitution, pornography and/or erotic en­tertainment.

Now considered a growing threat to the safety of children and teens, youth are being traf­ficked across the country and the DFW Metroplex. A Univer­sity of Texas study estimates that as many as 79,000 Texas children are victims of human trafficking.

For the full story, see the Jan. 20 issue or subscribe online.

By Sonia Duggan • [email protected]