\u201cSex trafficking remains one of the most horrific human rights violations in the United States, with as many as 300,000 children at risk for sexual exploitation each year. It\u2019s time we stop thinking about trafficking as someone else\u2019s problem. Every day children are being exploited right here in New York City. <\/p>\n
\u201cData from the Brooklyn District Attorney\u2019s Office shows the majority of the sex trafficking cases they prosecuted last year were children that were marketed through Backpage.com. These kinds of adult sites perpetuate the culture of sexual violence against children, and we need to send a clear message that this abuse will not be tolerated in the five boroughs. That\u2019s why my colleagues and I are calling on Village Voice Media to stop facilitating this kind of exploitation and remove the adult section of Backpage.com from their paper.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m proud to announce that on April 25th the Council will be holding a hearing on a resolution sponsored by council members Melissa Mark Viverito and Brad Lander urging Village Voice media to do the right thing. Together we can help put an end to this system of abuse, and better protect our most vulnerable citizens.\u201d<\/p>\n
###<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u201cSex trafficking remains one of the most horrific human rights violations in the United States, with as many as 300,000 children at risk for sexual exploitation each year. It\u2019s time we stop thinking about trafficking as someone else\u2019s problem. Every day children are being exploited right here in New York City. <\/p>\n
\u201cData from the Brooklyn District Attorney\u2019s Office shows the majority of the sex trafficking cases they prosecuted last year were children that were marketed through Backpage.com.<\/p>\n
…<\/p>\n