Anyone who is concerned about the on-going human trafficking horror in this nation should be aware of a new report about the subject.
Upstate South Carolina is an area that should be concerned because we live on the I-85 Corridor. Atlanta is listed as one of the nation’s worst human trafficking cities, by attorneys of the Neal Davis Law Firm — a respected criminal defense law firm based in the Houston area.
The Globe Newswire reports that around the world, there are an estimated 40.3 million victims trapped in modern-day slavery. “One in 4 victims of modern slavery are children. What’s more, victims’ rights groups say that human trafficking across the country rose during the COVID-19 pandemic. These findings and more are highlighted in a new detailed report on human trafficking statistics and laws,” a Globe report says.
Unfortunately, 2019 is the most recent year for which data is available. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the National Human Trafficking Hotline keep the data, and these statistic show these top-ranked states:
California
Texas
Florida
New York
Ohio.
No real surprise there; these are some of the most-populated states in the nation. Demand drives supply in this business, just like in most businesses. And the report makes it clear that there are cities which should get the most attention by federal law enforcement for these crimes:
Washington, D.C.
Atlanta, GA
Orlando, FL
Miami, FL
Las Vegas, NV
The Globe report also states, “The report also breaks down each state’s laws and penalties for criminal offenses related to human trafficking, forced labor, prostitution, involuntary servitude, sexual servitude and other similar crimes. The issue of human trafficking has received more widespread media attention and public concern in recent years in part due to the arrest of high-profile individuals like Jeffrey Epstein and Peter Nygard who have been charged with child sex trafficking.”
Houston Attorney Neal Davis describes the law firm’s interest in this public disgrace, “With this report, our goal is to uncover trends and statistics about human trafficking in order to better understand the scope of the issue. We have seen an escalation in the investigation and prosecution of human trafficking cases, including sex trafficking, and we expect this trend to continue.”
Davis has handled more than 1,000 cases of child sex offenses, drug charges, white collar crimes and others in state and federal courts in more than 20 years experience.
This is where the full report can be found: https://www.nealdavislaw.com/criminal-defense-guides/human-trafficking-statistics.html
Our nation is so fractured now that courts are straining with so much stuff. Florida sued the Federal Government to get ship cruises restarted, forgetting the fact that coronavirus on ships was a major contributor to the Covid pandemic. West Virginia plans to sue the Federal Government over sensible gun control legislation that has not yet passed in Congress. It seems that every day Attorneys General are announcing some new legal action against the Federal Government.
If we could stop suing each other, we could start suing these traffickers.
Even as fractured as we are, this to me seems like something on which we should all be able to agree. This business needs to be put out-of-business, with a very significant amount of state and federal resources directed that way. Major sporting events fuel human trafficking - it would seem logical that major sporting companies would be willing to pay NOT to be associated with this business, and its human suffering. And, make no mistake, this is a business; and, as such, it can be dismantled through RICO and imprisonment.
If we could only muster the will to attack it.
(Vic MacDonald is editor of The Clinton Chronicle. The views expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of The Chronicle. MacDonald can be reached at 833-1900.)
