Steuben begins public awareness campaign to prevent sexual exploitation of children

BATH -- Steuben County officials have begun a five-year plan to prevent the commercial sexual exploitation of children under the age of 18. County Youth Bureau Coordinator Bill Caudill said an advisory committee has been formed to explore the most effective ways to address potential sexual exploitation of children in Steuben, beginning this year with providing training for key agencies and raising awareness of the problem. “Quite simply, commercial sexual exploitation is any time a child or youth, under 18, performs a sex acts in exchange for something,” Caudill said. “That ‘something’ could be money, drugs, food, a place to stay for the night, or anything.” While commercial sexual exploitation of a child is a serious crime, the children may be told it is a normal and natural “payment” for the basic needs.

Also known by the more generic term “human trafficking,” the exploitation does not involve kidnapping a child and moving them or selling them overseas to be sex slaves, Caudill said. County officials believe there are now unreported cases of the sexual exploitation of children in Steuben and more will be discovered through public awareness of the issue. “Nobody wants to think about it,” Caudill said. “Nobody wants to believe it could happen here. We don’t know how many are being sexually exploited but we know some children are. We want it to stop.” The county's advisory committee includes representatives from the county ‘s social services, sheriff, probation, mental health, public health departments and the youth bureau. Additional community providers are expected to be added as well. Steuben’s effort is part of the state’s Safe Harbour: NY program and paid for through a $30,000 state Office of Children and Family Services grant. Anyone with questions or who is interested in joining an advisory committee can contact the Youth Bureau at (607) 664-2119.