Tech And Legal Experts Team Up In Seaport District For Social Change Hack-A-Thon
BOSTON (CBS) -- Usually the term "hacker" carries a negative connotation, except for at a hackathon.
Tech gurus have teamed up with legal experts at District Hall this weekend to find ways to stop sex trafficking.
The two-day hackathon used the hashtag, "#HackTraffickng4Good", as a moniker to involve members of the tech community to end sexual exploitation.
As many as 300,000 children are at risk of being trafficked for sex every year in the US., according to the event's website. Many victims of the sex trade are recruited and sold via the web.
Event spokesperson CC Gordon said one way may be to create an app that would help police get victims off the streets and safe.
"What kind of services can you provide, where is she going to get them, and we are developing an app that will be available in real-time right there to get her a place to stay for the night, clothes, and address immediate needs of hers," event spokesperson CC Gordon said.
The average age of individuals being sold for sex is 13, according the event's website.
Experts worked on developing vital resources and brainstorming ways to ramp up efforts to fight online sex trafficking.
"A lot of the sex trafficking starts online and so the law enforcement partners that are working here have told us that a data driven approach helps them better focus on who the actual worse perpetrators are," one attendee said.
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Karyn Regal reports.
