So "sex trafficking" is transporting women to have sex in various locations?  So, if the women transport themselves from parlor to parlor it's not trafficking, but if they are provided transportation it is? To me this seems to be just a silly atempt to make prostitution sound bad. I don't see any indication that the women were taken from their home countries against their will and held captive. In fact, they were taking advantage of a job to earn much more than they otherwise probably were skilled to make. So, Globe, lets hear the evidence that they were captive. Else the story won't stand up, and neither will the "trafficking" charge.

How do you know that these women were not coerced, jkupie?

Anyone who believes that prostitution is a victimless crime has not inquired deeply enough into the subject. Everyone of these woman is exploited by richer, more powerful men.  

“It’s almost a situation where they have the Stockholm syndrome,” Foucart said, referring to a psychological disorder in which kidnapping victims ­become attached to their kidnappers."

Can you apply the "Stockholm syndrome" lable to non-kidnapping situations?  No, very simply no.

"Much of the business, the prosecutor said, involved “illegal sex acts.”"

The sex acts were hardly likely to be illegal (I imagine that the more savvy of out state prosecutors engage in them every week, perhaps evey night). No, it's just that they are being done for money, is that not correct?  You could not arrest anyone, a married couple, a boyfriend and girlfriend, and old woman and her "boy toy" for these acts could you? 

Is is much more likely is that the women simply were doing what they had chosen to do (for whatever reason).

"Authorities are looking into how the operation was run and whether women were forced into the trade. Women who agree to cooperate with author­ities could receive consideration on immigration ­decisions, authorities said."

So, if you are a "good person" and lie for the police so the police can accomplish their agenda you will be rewarded with being able to stay in the country. If you are honest, or simply not a rat, you will be deported. Hey, if the police get their "happy ending", and you stay and work cleaning toilets for a decade or so, you might even be able to become a citizen!

They should just let these poor women stay here and be free. I will pray for them that they find the American dream.

HH, I believe the human trafficking does exist, but I don't think there's a slave under every rock (slaves to fashion and workaholics excepted). There is also, clearly, an "agenda" to publicize and to pursue. It's the latest liberal crusade, perhaps. But, just as there was not a Communist under every rock in the 1950s, and day care centers raping children in the 80s, there is not automatically human trafficking in every prostitution operation. I would expect human trafficking to be rare, especially in the US. The liberal agenda is to whip up hysteria and anxiety and use those emotions to fund a crusade, and have to crusade, as a side effect, shut down all prostitution. Oh, by the way, there IS a Communist under every rock these days -- it's just that we don't seem to object to the current incarnation, the Capitalistic Communist, just as we don't object to the illegal alien toilet cleaner.