Child Slavery in Las Vegas’ Seedy (not-so) Under World

Las Vegas has proudly earned its reputation as the "sin-city": the entertainment capital of the world where everything and anything goes, and where no one (supposedly) gets hurt in the process. Vegas represents the crown jewel in a hyper self-indulgent society, one which entirely rejects any notion of the transcendent. In a city where anything goes, an active market exists to cater to every individual whim, no matter what it may seek to feast upon. Therefore, in Vegas, the flesh market to sexually exploit young, innocent children is a ‘grand affair’-one operating under near complete legal immunity. The supply of beautiful youth to enslave is equivalent to the tens of thousands of children who are unwanted, severely abused and/or simply thrown-away as an inconvenience-kids who have been rejected by everyone. In a society that brags of "saving" dogs and fluffy kittens from being euthanized, it is tragically ironic that no effort is made to save these children from the inconceivable brutality, depravity and inhumanity which is their daily lot in life.

Las Vegas is literally teeming with child prostitutes-carefully hidden from public purview yet easily found. However, this fact has failed to motivate city officials to assist those tragically victimized. Why? Simply because in a city famed for its seediness, the widespread availability of child sex slaves is good for business: gambling business that is. Meeting revenue targets as required to fund the construction of multi-billion dollar casinos means that Vegas must continuously draw record audiences ever willing to depart with their hard earned cash. Consequently, Vegas is hard pressed to compete with an infinite array of vacation alternatives. To achieve this, the city broadcasts its willingness not merely to cater to each and every conceivable individual whim, but to promote deviance as acceptable-what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. The widespread availability of lurid ‘entertainment’ options is merely a distraction to encourage visitors to drop their cash at the blackjack tables. For the ploy to succeed the distractions must be grand-hence the Bellagio, Luxor, MGM Grand etc.-and the ‘entertainment’ options limitless, provocative, and perhaps even rare.

Consequently, child prostitution comports an integral component of the strategy to lure a discriminating clientele of predatorial perverts and pedophiles. Even worse is the fact that the Las Vegas police dissuade child prostitutes from seeking freedom, even as they coddle their vicious, predatorial pimps. In Las Vegas, child prostitutes as young as 9 or 10 are locked up as criminals, while their pimps go free. (Perhaps, an unlucky one or two might be charged with "pandering", an inconsequential misdemeanor that is easily expunged). This policy ensures an active and flourishing flesh market for innocent children. At any time in Las Vegas, approximately ½ to ¾ full of those detained in Juvenile Hall are child prostitutes.

Contrary to Hollywood movie lore, children are not unwitting accomplices to their own destruction-unwanted, they flock to warmer climates like Vegas seeking a new start. Via a complex psychological process known as Stockholm syndrome, psychopathological pimps so batter the frail and delicate emotional nature of these children that they are rendered slaves, utterly loyal to those who sell them like cattle. Child prostitutes failing to meet their daily quota (often as high as $500 or more a night) are savagely beaten, starved, and denied sleep. The saddest part is that few people care-most do not. A casual stroll down the strip ensures an unwanted encounter with the extremely aggressive flesh purveyors-those promising a "gorgeous girl" at your door within 5 minutes. Sexual gratification is a staple commodity for the Vegas appetite, and children-with their innocent, youthful faces and lithe bodies-are quite often the main course. Human slavery was supposed to have ended in America after the bloody Civil War, while the Civil Rights Movement was to have assured equal rights for all.

However, human slavery is alive and well in America today. Change will occur only when visitors-who annually drop billions of dollars in Vegas-demand it. The fact that more than $6 billion was invested in a resort casino that is consistently under booked-and which is unable to sell the majority of its condominiums–indicates cash is not the problem. In order to clothe, house, feed, protect and most of all provide a loving home for runaway children in Vegas, what is needed is caring. America has, to date, allowed greed, materialism, and the lust for carnal pleasure to so consume our national fabric that the widespread presence of child slavery in America’s "entertainment capitol" is rationalized and overlooked. This cannot continue, so long as America is to continue to be just and free.