The U.S. Justice Department recently released over 3 million files related to its investigations into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Many of his victims were minors.
Hawaiʻi is no stranger to the industry of child sex trafficking.
Jessica Muñoz is the founder of Hoʻōla Nā Pua, which provides education, advocacy and healing around child sex trafficking. Muñoz has been working to create more accessible healing resources for exploited children for 17 years.
“We only have this problem because people buy sex, and people buy sex from kids,” Muñoz said. “The issue we face in this country is that rich, powerful people are buying sex, and that creates a challenge when you're trying to change laws and you're trying to raise capital resources to help this issue, because there are people that don't want this to stop.”
In Hawaiʻi, the average age when a child is first exposed to exploitation is 11 years old — three years younger than the national average. Muñoz explained that Hawaiʻi’s remote geographical location and constant domestic and international tourism contribute to the issue in the islands.
Traffickers often prey on vulnerability in keiki, including homelessness, poor familial relationships, and substance abuse. Muñoz noted that many trafficking victims believe they are at fault for falling into the industry, and later often feel they aren’t deserving of help or healing.
“A lot of them believe it's their choice, and that's just the brainwashing that happens,” she said. “If you're under 18, you can't choose to be in this. There is no such thing as a ‘child prostitute’.”
Muñoz said true change comes from laws, enforcement, and accountability. Several bills introduced this legislative session target the industry, ranging from increasing penalties for traffickers and sex crimes, to developing mandatory training programs for workers in the transient accommodation sector.
“Our leadership needs to say we're not going to tolerate kids being bought and sold, we're not going to tolerate this happening to our children, and we need to make our community safer,” Muñoz said.
But on an individual level, noticing a change in a child’s behavior is something everyone can do. For parents and teachers who are worried their kids could be targeted or involved, there are key warning signs to pay attention to:
- Noticing sudden changes in behavior or mood
- Withdrawing from family or other trusted adults
- Having new gifts, clothes, or devices that don't have any explanation
- Having older boyfriends or secretive relationships
- Increased secrecy around phones and being online
- School disengagement, unexplained absences
Muñoz urged adults — parents, teachers, and coaches — to be curious when they see these behaviors from their kids. She said many adults refrain from saying anything because they are not sure or not confident, but Muñoz said saying something is better than pretending it is not happening.
She suggested that people approach the kids with curiosity, rather than judgment or accusation, to create a safe environment.
“They're afraid and they're ashamed and they're fearful, but they really are waiting for an adult to just say something,” she said. “A lot of them would say, ‘I just wanted someone to say something. I was too afraid to say it myself, but I just needed someone to notice and to see.’”
