In March of 2012, in just two days, all of the following stories appeared in the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
- She was 12. He was the pimp who raped her.
- Man gets 24 years for child molestation.
- Ex-city official faces 16 counts of child porn.
- Defendant pleads guilty of prostituting girl, 17.
- Coach arrested in player sex inquiry. Police found woman in car with member of basketball team.
- Man charged in sex with runaway, 14.
We hear about this kind of crime all the time. Yet the issue is clouded by secrecy and denial. It doesn’t happen here. At our March meeting you will hear about some of the facts we do know. Who are the missing children? Who are the victims? Who are the offenders? Official statistics about the extent of missing and exploited children in Minnesota are hard to come by. We will learn what statistics do exist and how we might get better numbers. Finally, we will talk about some public policies surrounding this issue where League of Women Voters might make a difference.
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Please join us at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 21st at the St. Louis Park City Hall when Mary Santi, a member of LWV White Bear Lake and the Missing & Sexually Exploited Children Study Committee, will lead the discussion.
The public is invited. Refreshments will be served.