Why are Child Prostitutes Treated Like Criminals Instead of Sexual Abuse Victims?

I can't read the actual article because either the magazine's website is down right now or my internet connection sucks, but a Salon blogger on women's issues notes a New York Magazine article about how child prostitutes are treated in the U.S.A. The bottom line is that, despite the fact that these girls are legally incapable of consenting to sex, and that many of them are essentially "sex slaves," they are frequently treated like nothing more than criminals when they are arrested for prostitution. There has to be a better way.