The concept of human trafficking has been completely swept under the rug to me until this class started to bring light to it. I had no idea how much of an issue it was within our state (specifically Seattle), not to mention nationally and globally. The only times I have really heard about anything that had to do with human trafficking was when there was a hidden brothel found operating in Downtown Bellevue, and even then it didn’t seem like a very big deal, probably because some of the most wealthy and powerful people in Bellevue are a part of the operation.
The Bellevue Police Department actually recently conducted an 8 month investigation and set up a fake prostitution ad to arrest people trying to buy sex in Bellevue. The officers set up their own brothel “sting” in a condo just north of downtown, which knowing this area pretty well, I can confidently say that it is very secluded and “sketchy” near these apartments (I could totally imagine there being a brothel set up here). By the end of the investigation, the undercover officers had arrested 110 men trying to pay for sex in Bellevue.
Interesting facts:
A man offered one of the officers extra money for sex without a condom
Another man insisted a discounted price because he was lost on the way to the condo (honestly it’s pretty difficult to get lost in Bellevue, its one main road).
A 22 year old from Bellevue was filed as a missing person by his parents, later for them to find out that he was in jail for trying to buy sex (oops, sorry mom)
Reading about this huge bust makes me wonder how safe Bellevue actually is. Growing up I was completely comfortable walking around alone at night, but if someone is willing to pay a significant amount for sex, it makes me wonder what lengths they would go to. Its scary to think that there was a chance of me being a victim of this. I know that most trafficked humans come form developing countries expecting a job and end up being sold into the trafficking industry, and I don’t want to undermine the International problem saying that I could have easily been a victim of this, considering Bellevue has significantly better security and stronger family structure compared to countries that are heavily trafficked. But reading about all of this still makes me wonder if i ever unknowingly walked past a prostitute in my own city? A brothel? An actual trafficker? The answer to all of these questions is most likely yes, which is so scary to me. The trafficking industry is definitely an issue that needs to be more widely addressed and combated.
Full article about uncover investigation: https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/crime/110-arrested-in-bellevue-sex-sting-set-up-to-fill-void-after-asian-brothels-shut-down/