(Xizi (Cecilia) Hua/Neon Tommy)

A single mother of five and grandmother of four, 38-year-old Miller was kidnapped and raped when she was 11. She later joined gangs and became a prostitute. But she promised to give her children the best, shielding them from her way of making a living.  

“One of my daughters was taken by a trafficker three years ago, not too far from the USC campus. And this is her dream school that she hopes to attend one day,” said Miller.

After her daughter’s rescue, Miller became an advocate and caseworker for sex-trafficked teenagers in South Los Angeles, an area plagued by underage prostitution.

READ MORE: Sex Trafficking Is No Foreign Matter

Miller was the speaker at the rally hosted by World Vision ACT:5, a USC student-group engaged in international justice. But the Friday event unexpectedly hit on a local issue: Sex trafficking in Los Angeles has been getting worse despite the passage of last year's Proposition 35 and increasing efforts from non-profit groups to tackle the problem. 

“Gangs are moving away from the drugs, getting into sex trafficking because they they don’t have to spend much money with sex trafficking,” said Miller. 

Miller found a majority of them were homeless, kicked out of their homes and unqualified for shelters. Many of them viewed sex traffickers as their families. 

“Girls go back to sex traffickers as many as seven times, not believing they are victimized,” said Miller. “And a lot of times, these girls only talk to counsels or case workers that share similar experience.” 

Miller also pointed out that Figueroa Street, which runs adjacent to USC's campus, has become a primary spot for teenage prostitution. 

“I saw very young girls, 12- to 15-year-olds, park their car on the sidewalk and walk into motels with their customers in broad daylight. It is happening not far away from USC,” said Miller. 

Reach Staff Reporter Meng Meng here.