In this article I will compare the crime of sex trafficking between the United States and South Africa. We don't think slavery still really exists in the world today, but sex trafficking is the most modern form of slavery that exists in the world today. According to the FBI's Law Enforcement Bulletin, human sex trafficking has become not only slavery but the fastest growing organized crime business and the third largest criminal enterprise in the world (March 2011). even in the United States I had simply assumed that it was overseas and that it had happened in foreign countries. Women and children are most at risk of this crime, especially young people who have run away or been abandoned because they often become involved in prostitution to support their financial needs. Once I get involved in all this, I really can't get out of it. It's not always just catwalks and girls who are voluntarily involved in prostitution. IN many cases the abduction was forced and children were even sold by their parents to traffickers for money or ransom. When these young people are torn from their families, there is no going back. They are usually taken far away and to places where they are forced to produce and sell drugs, they are often victimized and threatened to leave or running away is never an option. When these 12-14 year old girls become prostitutes and, apart from sex trafficking, they are usually kept in brothels or simply locked in a room for a period that can take up to months. During this time the attackers and traffickers drug and rape these girls to ensure the attackers have control over them. The reason I chose South Africa is because while I was doing research on sex trafficking I found that among 10 others...... middle of paper ......tin/march_2011/human_sex_trafficking2. Polaris Project (2007) For a world without slavery. http://www.polarisproject.org/resources/hotline-statistics/human-trafficking-trends-in-the-united-states3. Muthien, B. (2013, October 17) Human Connections: Between Sex Work and Trafficking. http://www.fairobserver.com/article/exploitation-commerce-sex-trafficking-south-africa4. Hosken, G. (2013, Nov 06) SA is a major highway for human trafficking. http://www.timeslive.co.za/thetimes/2013/11/06/sa-is-a-major-highway-for-human-trafficking5. Clawson, H. Dutch, N. Soloman, A. Goldblatt, L. (2009, August) Human Trafficking in and Within the United States. http://aspe.hhs.gov/hsp/07/humantrafficking/LitRev/6. U.S. Department of State, 2013 Trafficking in Persons Report - South Africa, June 19, 2013, available at: http://www.refworld.org/docid/51c2f38d18.html