As the world focused on Rio de Janeiro for the 2016 Olympics, prostitutes as young as nine years old poured into the city in hopes of cashing in on the influx of tourists and money.

Prostitution is legal in Brazil, and so rampant that child prostitutes regularly work the 262 truck stops on the 2,800-mile Highway of Death (BR-116), which has a high mortality rate. The children earn as little as $4 for sex acts, some in the shadow of magnificent sports venues.

In Rio, prostitutes from throughout the country not only worked the Olympic venues but also were available at upscale hotels.

Blogger Bri Nelson, writing on www.tosavealife.com, encouraged prayer for the prostitutes and support for A21, an organization that combats human trafficking.

Pray for the end of legal prostitution in Brazil and for the end of child exploitation for sex trafficking.

Psychology Today: Olympics May Increase Child Prostitution in Rio

El Pais: The prostitutes of the Rio Olympics

The Star: Rio police rescue girls from sex trafficking near main Olympic hub

To Save a Life: Road to Rio—The 9-Year-Old Olympic Prostitutes You Haven’t Heard About on NBC