COLUMBUS – A report from a state commission says women between the ages of 21 and 29 are the most common victims of human trafficking in Ohio.
In its 2017 Annual Report, the Ohio Human Trafficking Commission reported 208 potential victims of human trafficking were identified in Ohio, with female victims comprising more than 90 percent and, while there were victims ranging in age from under 13 to 85, the largest number – 69 – were between 21 and 29. The report also said authorities identified 211 potential sex traffickers and 10 suspected labor traffickers.
Because runaways are extremely vulnerable to being victims of human trafficking, investigators with the Bureau of Criminal Investigation’s Missing Persons Unit used data from the Ohio Missing Children Clearinghouse to identify 146 juveniles who were considered likely runaways and provided the information to 13 local law enforcement agencies, Attorney General Mike DeWine said.
The Attorney General’s office has also conducted trainings to educate law enforcement on high-risk youths and frequent runaways.
DeWine also provided more than $5 million in federal funding to increase access to services for victims of human trafficking.
The commission was formed in 2011, taking overwork begun by a similar panel formed under DeWine’s predecessor and potential rival in the 2018 governor’s race, Richard Cordray,