In recent times, as a board member for Family Services Inc., he has come to know better — to look on what was glibly called “the oldest profession” from a different perspective.

On Wednesday, Lingenfelter participated in Altoona’s version of the Red Sand Project, a metaphorical representation that calls attention to the plight of the many thousands of young people all over the world who regularly “fall through the cracks” into what is now understood to be the modern day equivalent of slavery — human trafficking.

The old understanding of prostitution failed to acknowledge the real relationship of prostitutes to their pimps, according to Lingenfelter and Ashley Gay Vocco, victim services program director for Family Services, who spoke about the issues after they and others poured red sand into cracks in the sidewalk in front of Family Services headquarters on Broad Avenue.

The victims themselves often don’t realize that what they’re doing is done under compulsion, until someone asks whether they could stop it if they wanted, Vocco said.

Participants in the Red Sand Project line cracks in the sidewalk with red sand outside Family Services Inc. along Broad Avenue on Wednesday. The demonstration called attention to the plight of the victims caught up in human trafficking. Mirror photo by William Kibler

At that point, most admit they couldn’t, because of actual or implied threats that include being deprived of drugs to which they’re addicted, of being made homeless, of being separated from their children or of being deprived of the affections of their pimp, Vocco said.

A relationship that may have started as a normal boyfriend-girlfriend connection changed when the boyfriend asked her to sleep with a friend for extra money or to make the rent, Vocco said.

The realization of the true nature of the “boyfriend’s” expectations for the future doesn’t become evident even in retrospect until the first time she feels sick or not up to it — and he won’t take no for an answer, Vocco said.

For the pimp, it’s all about money, Lingenfelter said.

Many people find it hard to believe it happens in Blair County, Vocco said.

But it happens anywhere there are drugs, and Blair County is “awash” in drugs, she said.

It happens in virulent fashion here, too, with even parents sometimes, both mothers and fathers, pimping out their children — including preteens, both sons and daughters, Vocco said.

Prostitution formerly was viewed as a victimless crime, said Donna Gority, who as president of Arts­Altoona, poured the blood-red sand into sidewalk cracks near her organization’s new headquarters at Simpson Temple United Parish, along with parish leaders.

“These days, we understand it’s not something people choose,” Gority said.

Placards bearing slogans referring to the crisis, created by recent occupants of the R.K. Agarwal M.D. & Family Teen Center & Shelter, adorned the lawn in front of Family Services Inc.’s headquarters Wed­nesday. Many occupants of the Teen Center, which was also the site of a sand spreading session Wednesday, are personally aware of trafficking issues, Vocco said.

Mirror Staff Writer William Kibler is at 949-7038.