New Jersey has hundreds of illegal massage businesses that could be harboring victims of human trafficking and fueling the sex trade, according to a new report.

The Polaris Project, a nonprofit that advocates to end human trafficking, found 373 possible massage parlors that advertised sexual services in the state. It also documented nearly 3,000 cases of human trafficking connected to more than 9,000 massage parlors across the nation.

"New Jersey is one of the most important states where work needs to be done," said Bradley Myles, the chief executive officer of Polaris. "It's got a large number of businesses, a large number of immigrants and a proximity to New York City."

According to Polaris, most trafficking victims are Chinese, Korean or other Asian women in their thirties, forties or fifties. Most of them have a high school education and limited English, and many of them had children overseas.

They are lured into sex trafficking via aggressive recruiting that promises good opportunities in America -- often without mentioning the true nature of the work.

"A lot of women are targeted by brokers promising passage in exchange for a fee," Myles said. "Once they get here, they're taken advantage of by the debt."

Victims are often shuffled around the country to prevent them from forming roots and to isolate them from the rest of the community. They're also often the first to be arrested, as opposed to the people who buy sex with them, or who are actually running the illegal rings.

The average buyer was a white male earning more than $100,000 a year, Polaris said.

"There's a huge power dynamic at play here," Myles said. "Buyers have more choice and a stronger standing in society. They know their likelihood of getting arrested is very rare, so there's a sense of impunity."

Myles also wants to re-frame the debate around illicit massage parlors, which have been misunderstood for decades.

"They're much more abusive than people realize, and much more prevalent than people realize," he said. "Now that we know the truth, we hope that people have a stronger response."

The state Attorney General's Office has in recent years made cracking down on human trafficking a priority, with an extensive advertising campaign and annual awareness events.

Erin Petenko may be reached at epetenko@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @EPetenko. Find NJ.com on Facebook.