UNDATED – The topic of human trafficking may not seem local, but Transitions CEO Susan Mathias says it is more prominent in the area than one may think.
Mathias says, “The Route 15 corridor is a major transportation route, and every indicator is that we have problems with human trafficking along that corridor.”
Mathias says Transitions is working to further identify signs of human trafficking, sexual exploitation and forced labor, as well as providing services, outreach and training for the community and local law enforcement to learn more about the issue.
She says many people may not understand how big of an epidemic this is, “What has happened now is that it has gone underground and people can get on the Internet easily and have access to pornographic images that unfortunately involve children. It is driving the age and the appetite of people in the country for younger people. When we hear the numbers of young children being trafficked and the knowledge of it being easily available online, it is a formula for disaster.”
Recently passed by the legislature, Act 105 gives law enforcement tools to use in arresting and charging people that have been trading others, and it establishes clear penalties. Mathias says at Transitions they are pleased with Act 105 because it specifically gives a strong emphasis on support for victims of human trafficking. Mathias was recently on WKOK Sunrise, which you can download here. (Sara Bartlett)