Human trafficking is the use of coercion for the purpose of labor, services or commercial sex. Human trafficking occurs as either labor trafficking or sex trafficking. Commercial sex can include acts of prostitution, sexual performances, such as stripping, or the production of pornography. Except in the case of minor sex trafficking, Human trafficking requires the use of coercion. It is important to understand that coercion, as defined by our Florida State Statute, not only includes threats and violence, but also fraud, deceit, and the use of drugs to manipulate victims. These are common tactics utilized by traffickers to maintain control over their victims. It is rare for a trafficking victim to be physically confined. It is much more common for there to be “invisible chains” that the trafficker uses to maintain control, so the victim is more likely to appear to be free to come or go as they please.

Human trafficking is a lucrative industry, representing an estimated $9.8 billion in the U.S. and $32 billion internationally. A trafficker can make up to $100,000 a year per victim, according to the U.S. Justice Department. The average victim may be forced to have sex up to 20-48 times a day.

It is important to understand that human trafficking can happen to anyone, anywhere and in any situation. In the United States, 83 percent of trafficking victims are American and 50 percent are children. The average age of a trafficking victim is 13. Victims are often unfamiliar with the culture or do not speak the language of the country they have been trafficked into. Few come forward for fear of retaliation, shame, or lack of understanding of what is happening to them.

Although the crisis of human trafficking has more recently made headlines, the problem has thrived in the shadows for many years. For too long, victims of human trafficking have been treated as criminals, facing jail time rather than receiving emergency shelter and the support they deserve. Much like the domestic violence movement of the early 1980s, today’s push to raise awareness of human trafficking will initiate the social change needed to provide victims with the services they need to heal and return to society as productive citizens.

Due to the methods used by traffickers, it can be difficult to identify a human trafficking situation. Below are some indicators of human trafficking. These indicators do not, necessarily, mean human trafficking is occurring and any possible cases need to be investigated by trained Detectives. A person should not take a single indicator and interpret it to mean that there is sex trafficking. Use your reasonable judgment and report any activity that looks suspicious to you. Most of the traffickers in the March 2015 sting were operating in broad daylight in single family neighborhoods. In addition to a high volume of traffic at a residence, individual signs of human trafficking in a victim may include: