Ocala is a community in central Florida with a population of just over 60,000. There has been a longstanding recognition that prostitution is a substantial problem locally, and there have been documented cases of child and adult sex trafficking, and related drug offenses, violence, and forced performance in prostitution. For example, in August, 2022, the […]
Oakland is a city of approximately 434,000 residents, located just east of San Francisco on the San Francisco Bay. While there are areas of affluence, most of the city can be described as working class to poor; in 2007, 17% of city residents lived below the poverty line. The city’s economy has been particularly hard […]
Norwich is a city of approximately 40,000 residents, located just north of New London in Connecticut. Prostituted-related kidnappings, assaults, and homicides have been well-documented in the city. For example, in 2002 a mother of two young children was strangled to death by a male sex buyer. To curb prostitution activity in the city, the Norwich […]
Norwalk is a city of approximately 91,000 residents, located between Darien and Westport in Fairfield County, Connecticut. Situated at the juncture of U.S. Route 7 & Interstate 95, the city has dealt with persistent and visible prostitution activity along its major roads for more than four decades. Local forced prostitution and child sex trafficking cases have […]
Norwalk is a city of approximately 17,000 residents, situated about midway between Akron and Cleveland in Huron County, Ohio. Prostitution has been a well-documented problem in the city for many years. Among the crimes association with the local prostitution market is the assault of sex buyers. For example, in September 2008, a Norwalk police officer […]
North Palm Beach is a small city on Florida’s east coast, in Palm Beach County, FL. The city is located north of Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach and, as of 2019, has a population of approximately 13,000 residents. Prostitution and sex trafficking are well-documented problems in the city and region. Consumer-level demand provides the […]
North Little Rock is a community located in the Little Rock, Arkansas metropolitan area, near Jacksonville in Pulaski County. The city has a population of roughly 64,000. Prostitution and sex trafficking activity have been well-documented in the city and surrounding communities. This activity and the problems and ancillary crimes it generates results in complaints to […]
North Laurel is a census-designated place of approximately 25,000 residents, located near Laurel and Jessup in Howard County, Maryland. Situated between Route 1 and Interstate 95, it is one of several unincorporated areas in the vicinity that are known for prevalent street- and hotel-based prostitution and sex trafficking. Consumer level demand provides the revenue stream for all […]
North Fort Meyers is a census-designated place of approximately 43,000 residents, located near Fort Myers and Bonita Springs in Lee County, Florida. As in many communities in the area, city officials and residents have reported an increase in prostitution activity in recent years. Sex trafficking is also a well-documented problem in the city and surrounding […]
North Charleston is the third-largest city in South Carolina, with a population of approximately 115,000 residents. The city is located in Charleston, Berkeley, and Dorchester Counties in southeastern South Carolina. Prostitution and sex trafficking are well-documented problems in the city, including cases where persons exploited in commercial sex have been raped, assaulted, or murdered by […]
Demand Forum is powered by the National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE) and directed by Dr. Michael Shively, NCOSE's Senior Advisor on Research and Data Analysis. It was originally developed by Dr. Shively and Abt Associates with grant support from the National Institute of Justice. In January 2020 the website transferred to NCOSE. In January 2021, work began on a new grant from NIJ (#2020-75-CX-0011) to update and expand the content presented on Demand Forum.
