Captives in the Shadows

Human trafficking is a major contemporary problem. Economic injustice, dogmatic cultural structures, and conflicting laws render the problem complex and challenging. Sex trafficking is only 20% of this two hundred billion dollar a year enterprise that also includes manual labor and the sale of body parts. Some of the trafficking is actually consensual since workers are desperate to relocate to more lucrative countries. In some countries, prostitution is legal and regulated whereas other countries impose heavy penalties on sex workers. This leads to confusion and suspicion between victims, freelancers, and the authorities. When Barrett Sherman steps into a bar for a moment of escape from marital tension and job frustration, he is drawn into a web of intrigue and danger that puts his own life in a wider perspective. The implication is clear. Global economics and sexual customs are both in need of serious revisions.