️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️  (CNN) Melissa was sold into the sex trade by a family member when she was only 12 years old. (CNN) Melissa was sold into the sex trade by a family member when she was only 12 years old. ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• <unk> <unk> <unk> ąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąą Melissa miraculously escaped her captors but, as is the case with so many other victims, she struggled for years to distance herself from her past, even finding herself in prison on multiple occasions.<unk> Melissa miraculously escaped her captors but, as is the case with so many other victims, she struggled for years to distance herself from her past, even finding herself in prison on multiple occasions. While institutionalized slavery has long been cast from America's history books, thousands of children still suffer from the bonds of sex trafficking.<unk> And while institutionalized slavery has long been cast from America's history books, thousands of children still suffer from the bonds of sex trafficking. ️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️ problem<unk> is<unk> not<unk> confined<unk> to<unk> one<unk> part<unk> of<unk> the<unk> country<unk> ️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️ It invited her to go to a party and asked her to go to a fast food restaurant nearby.<unk> It invited her to go to a party and asked her to go to a fast food restaurant nearby.<unk> It invited her to go to a party and asked her to go to a fast food restaurant nearby. ąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąą ąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąą ąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąąą Instead of treating people like these young girls as the victims they are, they are often thrown into the criminal justice system, labeled prostitutes and left with few options but to return to a nightmare that shockingly still exists in the United States.<unk> ️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️<unk>️ <unk> <unk> <unk> <unk> <unk> <unk>
<unk> <unk> <unk> <unk> <unk> <unk> <unk> <unk> Two bills introduced to combat problem passed Judiciary Committee, they say.