"Sex Workers or Victims?" Oxygen's Who Cares About Girls Documentary Series Hosted By Lisa Ling Explores American Girls in the Sex Trade Industry

"Sex Workers or Victims?" Oxygen's Who Cares About Girls Documentary Series Hosted By Lisa Ling Explores American Girls in the Sex Trade Industry

One-Hour Special on Underage Prostitution in Major U.S. Cities Premieres Sunday, March 30 at 9 pm ET/10 pm CT

Viewers Can Get Involved at www.oxygen.com/icare

New York, NY � March 7, 2008 � Oxygen will premiere "Sex Workers or Victims?" � the third installment of the network's Who Cares About Girls documentary series, on Sunday, March 30 at 9 pm ET/8 pm CT. In the one-hour special, host Lisa Ling reports on the underage prostitution crisis in the U. S. with in-depth coverage on cases in New York, Dallas and Las Vegas. Ling speaks with current and former juvenile prostitutes, rides along with law enforcement officers trying to stop the traffickers and goes behind-the-scenes at innovative programs committed to giving these girls an opportunity to build a better life.

Of the estimated hundreds of thousands of juveniles involved in domestic sex trade in the U.S., most are victims of rape, abuse and torture. While girls trafficked from other countries are protected under the law and entitled to medical treatment and social services, there are few such policies for American girls. United States law often sees them as juvenile delinquents and they are prosecuted as criminals.

"We hope this compelling documentary sheds some light on an under-reported epidemic that has struck young women across every geographic and socio-economic background in America," said Lauren Zalaznick, President of Bravo Media and Oxygen Media.

"Sex Workers or Victims," produced by National Geographic Television, investigates the cases of Christina, a 17-year-old Las Vegas teen who has been in the sex trade since she was twelve and longs for help to get out of 'the life;' and New Yorker Tammy, who fell into prostitution after a traumatic childhood. Tammy eventually received treatment and was able to successfully transition to a life off the streets.

Ling also explores the efforts of innovative individuals and programs dedicated to the issue of juvenile prostitution. Included are profiles of Dallas police sergeant Byron Fassett, an expert on commercially exploited children; Rachel Lloyd, founder of the GEMS program in New York; and Las Vegas Juvenile Court Judge William Voy, who plans to open a center to treat sexually exploited girls.

Who Cares About Girls is dedicated to exploring how the world treats young girls, who are vulnerable because of their age, their gender and their lack of status. The initiative includes documentaries and an advocacy component at www.oxygen.com/icare. The web site will offer information about how viewers can get involved with organizations like GEMS, a program that provides preventive and transitional services to young women who are at risk for or involved in sexual exploitation and violence; and Children of the Night, a non-profit organization established in 1979 for the rescue of young people from child prostitution.

Lisa Ling is a special correspondent for The Oprah Winfrey Show and National Geographic Explorer. She also served as a co-host of ABC Daytime's popular morning talk and entertainment program, The View. Ling began her television career at 18-years-old, where she was one of the youngest reporters for Channel One News. Before the age of 25, she became the network's senior war correspondent � reporting from more than two dozen countries including Afghanistan, Iraq, Vietnam and China.

About Oxygen Media

Oxygen is a program service of NBC Universal Cable Entertainment and is currently available in over 73 million homes. The network was launched in 2000 to fill a void in the television landscape -- creating a network targeted to younger women. Oxygen is rewriting the rulebook for women's television, with a vast array of unconventional and original programming including "The Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency," "The Bad Girls Club" and "Tori & Dean: Inn Love."