Human traffickers and victims 'can be anyone'

BERLIN HEIGHTS — Human trafficking happens everywhere.That point was driven home when Erie County's newly formed Human Trafficking Task Force hosted a panel discussion, the first-ever done by the task force, Thursday evening at First Congregational United Church of Christ on Main Street in Berlin Heights. Several dozen people attended.Human trafficking is defined in Ohio's criminal code as recruiting and harboring another person when they know that person "will be subjected to involuntary servitude or be compelled to engage in sexual activity for hire."Task force chair and BGSU criminal justice program director Tracy McGinley said human trafficking often manifests in sex trafficking and prostitute-pimp relationships, because of the amount of control pimps have over prostitutes."Most prostitution is human trafficking," she said.Ohio had 443 cases of human trafficking reported to the National Human Trafficking Hotline last year, with a vast majority — 349 cases — being reports of sex trafficking, according to data from the hotline. The National Human Trafficking Hotline's website says there were 443 reported human trafficking cases in Ohio in 2018. Sex trafficking was the most common form of reported trafficking in the state. 'A pimp can be anyone'One audience member asked McGinley how common it is for young women and men to be kidnapped on the street and brought into human trafficking. McGinley said that situation isn't common."A pimp can be anyone. There are situations I've seen where it was a father, a brother," said task force co-chair and county victim assistance director Sarah Reynolds. "It's not just some scary guy on the street, it can be your family."More commonly, victims are targeted by traffickers — often on social media — who will interact with the victim over a period of time before asking them to perform any sex acts. They'll groom victims, or condition them to act or think a certain way, often times buying victims gifts like jewelry."Traffickers are going to groom individuals so they love (the trafficker) more than their family," Reynolds said. "They'll make (victims) believe nobody cares about them."Law enforcement has seen traffickers who've acted alone, some who were members of trafficking rings and others who were gang members, Erie County Sheriff Paul Sigsworth said. In many cases, traffickers will get victims hooked on drugs, making the victim dependent on the trafficker as a drug supplier.Tracy McGinley (center) speaks to the crowd at First Congregational Untied Church of Christ in Berlin Heights Thursday, Sept. 12, 2019, flanked by fellow panelists Lara Wilken (left) and Sarah Reynolds (right). Who's at risk of traffickingTraffickers tend to target younger girls and boys with low-self esteem. Runaways also tend to be victimized."At least one out of three runaways will be approached by traffickers within 48 hours," McGinley said.That's why it's essential to "love your children" and build their self-esteem, said Lara Wilken, a sexual assault nurse formerly of Firelands Regional Medical Center."Confidence is key to combatting this," Wilken said. "If they're confident, they're not going to buy into what traffickers tell them."Ways to spot human traffickingWilken cited a statistic that 88 percent of human trafficking victims were seen by a health care provider who didn't recognize them as a trafficking victim.She's educated medical professionals across the state on human trafficking. Previously, there hasn't been mandated human trafficking training for medical professionals in the states, but that is going to change in the future, Wilken said.The panelists pointed out a number of red flags to spot potential human trafficking victims:• Younger person spending time with an older person• Changes in a young person's behavior• Young people with new jewelry or other possessions• "Branding," tattoos placed on the victim by the trafficker• Development of mental health issues like PTSD, anxiety and depressionHow to protect yourselfChildren and young adults should take these steps to make sure they're not victimized:• Travel in groups and be aware of your surroundings.• Trust your instincts: "If you don't feel good about a situation, leave," McGinley said.• If you're approached by a suspected trafficker, take a photo of their license plate and call 911.• If you're in a vehicle that's being followed, call the police. You can ask police to pull your vehicle over to ensure your safety.• Avoid job offers that appear "to good to be true."What's being done in Erie CountyMoving forward, the county human trafficking task force wants to coordinate local agencies that are likely to deal with trafficking victims, McGinley said. They also want to form the base of a coalition of community members who want to get involved in combating the issue."We're trying to build this so we, as Erie County, know what's going on and are better equipped to deal with it," she said.Anyone who suspects someone of being involved in human trafficking should contact local law enforcement. People can also report suspected human trafficking to the National Human Trafficking Hotline by calling 1-888-373-7888.Reach reporter Brandon Addeo at brandonaddeo@sanduskyregister.com, follow him on Twitter @BrandonAddeo and follow the Register at Facebook.com/SanduskyRegisterSeveral dozen people attended the Erie County Human Trafficking Task Force's panel at First Congregational United Church of Christ in Berlin Heights Thursday, Sept. 12, 2019.