Consent, Coercion, and Compassion: Emerging Legal Responses to the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Minors

Abstract

Elana was thirteen when her mother kicked her out of the house. As a result of her mother's neglect, she landed in foster care in a group home run by the city. Frustrated by the fights and the bullying that she encountered at the group home, Elana often spent time on the streets. During this time, she met a man and woman who said that they would take care of her if she came to live with them. They said they would provide her with a comfortable home, nice clothes, and would help her "make money." Elana was enticed by the promise of things that she did not have at home or in foster care and agreed to go with them.