Lawrence is a city of approximately 80,000 residents, located in Essex County, in Northeastern Massachusetts. In recent decades it has had among lowest median household income in the state. Prostitution has presented persistent and serious problems in the city for decades, including documented cases of sex trafficking, child endangerment, and the rape and homicide of […]
Laurel is a city of approximately 26,000 residents, located in northern Prince George’s County in Maryland. Like their neighbors in North Laurel, the Laurel Police Department has been faced with the challenge of a growing commercial sex market in recent years, including sex trafficking and the assault of prostituted women. For example, in 2010 arrests […]
Las Vegas is the largest city in Nevada, with approximately 647,000 residents, and is located in Clark County. Dubbed “the Entertainment Capital of the World,” Las Vegas has also been identified by federal and local law enforcement as one of the nation’s largest hubs of prostitution and sex trafficking. Prostitution in the state of Nevada […]
Laredo is a city of approximately 256,000 residents, located in Webb County, Texas along the Mexican border. Prostitution and sex trafficking have been persistent and visible problems in the city for decades. Among the serious related crimes have been the robbery of sex buyers and serial killers targeting persons exploited in prostitution. For example, in […]
Lansing is the capital of Michigan. It is the state’s fifth-largest city, with approximately 113,000 residents. For decades, community members have complained about commercial sex and related crimes in the city – including sex trafficking – with the majority of activities often clustered around the Kalamazoo Street corridor. To address these issues, the Lansing Police […]
Lancaster is a city of approximately 58,000 residents, located in southeast Pennsylvania. It is the county seat and largest city in Lancaster County. Prostitution has posed persistent and visible problems in the area, and has generated numerous complaints to police. The community has also documented numerous cases of sex trafficking of minors and adults, and […]
Lakewood is a city of approximately 155,000 residents in the U.S. state of Colorado, located just southeast of Denver in Jefferson County, CO. Prostitution and sex trafficking have been well-documented in the city, and produce numerous additional problems. Among the more serious issues associated with the local commercial sex market is child sex trafficking. For […]
Lakewood is a city in the Puget Sound region of Washington with a population of about 63,000, located in Pierce County, WA. Prostitution and sex trafficking markets have a documented presence in the city, and produce a number of additional problems, such as attempted homicide and assault. For example, in 2013 two men negotiated with […]
Lakeland is a city of approximately 115,000 residents, located between Tampa and Orlando in Polk County, FL. Prostitution has been a persistent and visible problem in the area for decades. The Lakeland Police Department has adopted several tactics to identify and apprehend sex buyers and sellers. Beginning in 1988, Lakeland officers have incorporated street-level reverse […]
Lakehurst is a borough of approximately 3,000 residents, located along the New Jersey shore in Ocean County. In August 2007, Lakehurst police received an anonymous tip suggesting that employees at one of the borough’s massage parlors were engaging in acts of prostitution. Officers began an investigation that culminated in the arrest of seven sex buyers. Police […]
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.
