Human trafficking is a crime where one person exploits another for labor, services, or commercial sex, using force, fraud, or coercion (or where the person induced is under 18 years of age, in the case of a commercial sex act under U.S. law). The crime also includes the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a human being for these purposes and in these ways. Victims are typically unable to leave a situation of exploitation and are controlled by threats, punishment, violence, coercion, or deception.

The internet is a daily & essential part of all our lives; some children are online for up to 8 hours a day.

• 1 in 3 children can now expect to have an unwelcome sexual experience online before they turn 18.
• 43% exposed to inappropriate sexual content online are under 13.
• Online predators’ objectives are to meet with children face-to-face to exploit them. Whatever the child may be experiencing, the offender will pretend to be going through the same thing.
• Locally, 63% of victims met their trafficker via the internet.
• Warren County has seen a 57% increase in trafficking in 2024.

Through various forms of force, fraud, and coercion to control and exploit victims, including imposing debt, fraudulent employment opportunities, false promises of love or a better life, psychological coercion, isolation, addiction & violence.

The relationship between traffickers and victims is complex. It is rare for the control to be based on physical confinement, like locked doors and shackles. Instead, victims are exploited through manipulation, fear, dependency (including drugs), threats, or debt bondage. Few people think of themselves of being a ‘victim’. They often describe feeling hopeless or having no options, or even feeling a sense of obligation towards those who trafficked them. They do not understand their situation as one that they could run away from or escape from. Anyone from any walk of life can be targeted and end up as a victim of human trafficking, but people experiencing the following can be at particular risk: chaotic home environment or recent family breakdown, runaway youth, homelessness, alcohol or drug addiction, mental illness, long-term unemployment, learning difficulties, debts or criminal convictions, fear of deportation, and physical injuries or disabilities.