Hidden behind closed doors and on the streets at night.
Outreach workers say sex trafficking in the state has drastically increased in recent months and more needs to be done to tackle the problem.
Outreach workers attempting to tackle forced prostitution and the sex trafficking industry in Hawaii say numbers have climbed recently.
"They are from California, Vegas, D.C., New York, small towns even you know South Dakota as well as Hilo or Maui or here in Honolulu,” said Kathryn Xian of Pacific Alliance to Stop Slavery.
Victims are also brought to the islands from parts of Asia and Micronesia to work the streets.
"Anytime you have something like the Pro Bowl or a big convention come to Hawaii you are going to see an increase in the number of victims,” said Jessica Munoz of “Courage to be you.”
An increase in victims means more help is needed to stop the sex trafficking.
"We have serviced in the last year over 40 victims of mostly sex trafficking about 25 percent of those are labor trafficking cases and 10-percent of that are children,” said Xian.
State laws are said to be some of the weakest in the nation when it comes to human trafficking, lawmakers are looking at several bills aimed at changing that.
"That is just part of our goal to help educate people and this is what is actually going on and this is the way that you can be a part of the change that needs to occur,” said Candice Garrison of Courage House.
A documentary and informational meeting on sex trafficking in Hawaii will be held next Saturday 2/25 at 6:30 p.m. at the Historic Haleiwa Gym.
