COLUMBUS – The COVID-19 pandemic has made it easier for human traffickers to lure their victims and keep their activities hidden from law enforcement and others.
January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month and advocates in Ohio say awareness has never been more important as the virus outbreak has become more difficult to respond to the needs of victims of human trafficking made some at-risk populations even more vulnerable.
Ohio Attorney-General Dave Yost’s 2021 Human Trafficking Summit, held virtually on Wednesday, will bring together survivors, social workers and victim advocates, peace officers, lawyers, prosecutors, judges and other community stakeholders to learn how different areas of the state are fighting against human trafficking.
While the number of incidents may not have increased, they have become better disguised as people spend more time at home Amy LaGesse, FOCUS on Runaways project coordinator, said.
“Traffickers are not snatching and grabbing. They are making friends with kids online; they’re playing games with them. They are absolutely thrilled to see us more online,” said LaGesse, who has worked for years in the Toledo area on the issue and serves as a board member with the Ohio Alliance to End Sexual Violence.
Because it occurs behind closed doors, quantifying the scope of human trafficking is difficult, but a report ranked Ohio 14th in the U.S. in 2019 for federal human trafficking convictions.
Homeless youths and those who run away from home are most at risk for sex trafficking, as well as those who use drugs or alcohol. Other vulnerable groups include LGBTQ individuals, migrant farm workers and those with a developmental or intellectual disability.
Amid the pandemic, fewer victim referrals are coming from juvenile courts and other community partners.
“Mental-health providers, physicians – a lot of them are doing virtual appointments, or over the phone. Well, you can’t always do a complete assessment, so out of sight, out of mind,” said Raven Cruz Loaiza, Day One Advocacy Coordinator for Allen County Crime Victim’s Services.
LaGesse adds that engaging with survivors on a personal level is crucial in order to support them but those connections are difficult now because they’re over the phone or online instead of face-to-face.
“And you’re talking about someone who has been traumatized, and through terrible things and now you’re going to say, ‘Hi, I’m Amy. How can I help you today?’ It’s very hard to build a relationship,” she said.