COLUMBUS – A report by the Attorney General’s Office says Ohio law enforcement agencies conducted more than 100 investigations into human trafficking last year leading to more than 100 arrests and 33 convictions.
The report identified 203 potential human trafficking victims, the vast majority of them young women.
The annual report issued Monday by Attorney General Mike DeWine’s Human Trafficking Commission says most victims were in their twenties and thirties but seven were 13 or younger.
The report identified 130 suspected traffickers and nearly 200 buyers of sex.
DeWine convened the commission in 2011 to strengthen protections for victims, toughen penalties for traffickers and educate Ohioans about the problem and how they can help.
More than 4,100 Ohio law enforcement officers took part in human trafficking training through the Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy in 2015, DeWine said.
Ohioans can report any information they might have about human trafficking by calling 1-855-BCI-OHIO (224-6446).
Of the 203 potential victims of human trafficking identified, 196 were female, three were aged 12 and under, four were aged 13, 23 were 14-15 years old, 30 were 16-17 years old and 16 were 18-20 years old.
The majority of the suspected cases were sex trafficking, but the report says six potential labor trafficking victims were identified.
The highest risk factor among potential victims was drug, alcohol and other dependencies, accounting for 72 cases of the victims. In 40 of the cases, the underlying risk factor was identified as “runaway and homeless youth” and, in 22 cases, “truancy” was listed as a risk factor.