For Goldsmith and the London Abused Women’s Centre, the women who seek their services come from diverse backgrounds. But more often than not, the stories share the similarities—women and girls lured into sex trafficking by men, referred to as “Romeo” pimps, who prey on vulnerabilities.

“Sometimes that grooming can last for a few weeks or sometimes it's just a few days,” says Goldsmith. “Suddenly these girls realize, 'holy shit, I'm stuck here and he's forcing me to do stuff.'”

Pugh-Roberts says the profitability of the crime is what makes it so widespread. “Drugs you can sell once. A woman you can sell over and over and over again,” she says. “They used to say you’d just have to feed and water her, now they aren’t even doing that.”

In London, Goldsmith says most of the trafficking takes place online. Websites like Backpage.com and LeosList.com provide listings for escorts. While some posts may be from sex-workers, the websites are a hotbed for pimps advertising their trafficking victims.

Goldsmith says a part of her job is working with victims’ family members. She often introduces them to websites like LeosList as a way to find their missing person.

“They don't know where to even start, so we help them go through the list and we help them connect with the police,” she says. “We really just try and strategize with them and find the best way to reach out to that girl and help them do that.”