While the Atlanta Falcons were on the field in Houston at the 2017 Super Bowl, another bust was happening in hotels, houses and apartment complexes -- Police arrested 750 people in connection with buying and selling girls.
That’s the seedy side effect of hosting the big game that could affect Georgia in 2019. That’s when Atlanta is set to host the Super Bowl at the new Mercedes Benz stadium. Long before the match ups are set, preparations are already underway for the “Super Bowl side effect” – sex trafficking.
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Large conferences and sporting events create a spike in demand for the business of selling girls. However it doesn’t take out of towners flooding a city. Sex trafficking is a $290 million dollar industry in Atlanta. It’s happened every day, game or not.
However with one of the biggest sporting events of the year coming to Atlanta, there are precautions in place to discourage buyers and pimps. A state law went into effect on July 1, 2017 that toughens the punishment.
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Trafficking convictions come with mandatory jail time and buyers caught with someone underage can now be charged with a felony.
The average age of a trafficking victim is 15.
