Rescued From the Shadows
48 Hours infiltrated the billion dollar business of trafficking in human sex slaves to reveal how easy it is in the 21st Century to purchase a woman and bring her to the United States. Correspondent Peter Van Sant's investigation includes a report on Bucharest, Romania, one of several former Soviet bloc nations that have become hotspots for modern-day slave traders. Many of the girls are lured overseas with the promise of a good job, others are simply abducted. Working with Iana Matei, the director of Reaching out Romania, Van Sant rescued "Nicoleta," a 17-year-old girl. Also explored are the cases of "Olga," a young woman trapped in a sex slave trafficking ring run by a Russian named Alexander Rashovsky; and a young girl kidnapped by members of the Carreto family of Tlaxcala, Mexico.


