Highlights

Adjusted for population, Nevada’s commercial sex market is by far the largest of any state.

• At least 5,016 individuals are sold for sex in an average month in Nevada.  Nevada’s number of prostituted persons per capita is 63% larger than the next largest state of New York, and more than twice as many as in California.
• Legalized prostitution appears to have done nothing to stem victimization within the illicit sex trade—the data in the study show that prostituted persons in the illegal trade around licensed brothels are at a similar risk of having been trafficked as those in areas without legal brothels.

More than 13% of Nevada prostituted persons are advertised under the age of 21.

• More than 1 out of every 10 prostituted persons in Nevada is too young to buy alcohol. These young individuals are almost twice as likely to “travel” while being prostituted compared to those who are 21 and older. 
• Many prostituted persons are advertised for their youth, regardless of their stated age. For example, phrases like “fresh meat,” “brand new” and “daddy’s little girl” are all used to connote the youth of sex providers. 

Youth is an important characteristic sought by sex buyers in Nevada.

• Evidence of the importance of youth to sex buyers in Nevada comes from the advertised prices of young prostituted persons. The data show higher prices are charged for younger females in Nevada. 
• The data put Nevada in the top ten states in the country in terms of youth of prostituted persons.

For full report, or scroll down.

Nevada’s Online Commercial Sex Market Full Report

This study was commissioned by Awaken and research was funded by the Nebraska Women’s Foundation of Omaha. Study design, data collection, and analyses were devised and implemented independently by HTI. Several outside reviewers commendated versions of the report. The research team retained full and exclusive authority in deciding whether and how to respond to comments from outside reviewers, and as such is fully and solely responsible for the report’s findings and interpretations.

Mapping Commercial Sex Advertising around Reno, NV