Human Trafficking: Facts vs Fiction

You've probably seen human trafficking discussions taking over your social media.

Tonight we're debunking some myths about the topic and letting survivors tell you what it really looks like.

AT LAST CHECK, NO ARRESTS HAVEBEEN MADE.

THE SHERIFF’S OFFICESAYS IT’S STILL INVESTIGATING."SAVE OUR CHILDREN"....OR "SAVETHE CHILDREN"...THEY’RE HASHTAGSYOU’VE PROBABLY SEEN ALL OVERYOUR SOCIAL MEDIA FEEDS.

THEGOAL APPEARS TO BE ABOUTBRINGING AWARENESS TO HUMANTRAFFICKING...BUT THOSE FEEDSARE ALSO FILLED WITHMISINFORMATION AND MYTHS ABOUTTHE TOPIC.TONIGHT FOX 4’S ROCHELLE ALLEYNETELLS US WHAT HUMAN TRAFFICKINGREALLY LOOKS BY SHOWING YOU THEFACTS...AND PEOPLE BEHIND THEM.(117-121)(208-213)typingYOU’VE PROBABLY SEEN THEHASHTAGS...AND HEADLINES ON YOURFEEDS."SAVE THE CHILDREN""SAVE OUR CHILDREN."ITS A RECENT SOCIAL PUSH TOSHINE A LIGHT ON HUMANTRAFFICKING...BUT MANY OF POSTSSEEM TO CONTAIN INCORRECTINFORMATION.SO WHAT’S THE TRUTH?ACCORDING TO THE NATIONAL HUMANTRAFFICKING HOTLINE...TRAFFICKING COMES IN TWO MAJORFORMS...LABOR AND SEX.VICTIMS COME IN ALL AGES, RACESAND GENDERS.TRAFFICKERS ARE TYPICALLY *NOTTHE PROVERBIAL "MAN IN THE WHITEVAN"...THEY OFTEN GET TO KNOWTHEIR VICTIMS AND TAKE ADVANTAGEOF THEIR VULNERABILITIES...IT’S A PATTERN JULIE KOVACHKNOWS WELL..."It started with addiction."AND THAT LED HER TO JAIL...WHERESHE MET A WOMAN WHO SHE THOUGHTWOULD HELP HER.THE PAIR WAS RELEASEDTOGETHER...AND THE WOMAN BROUGHTJULIE TO A HOUSE WHERE SHE WASABLE TO GET DOPE FIXES...BUTTHEY CAME AT A STEEP PRICE."In the process, you wind ugetting trapped in thesituation."SHE WAS ABLE TO BREAK FREE AFTERABOUT A YEAR...AFTER ANOTHERJAIL STINT...AND TIME IN A REHABPROGRAM.BUT A WOMAN NAMED MYRA TELLS USTHAT SOMETIMES traffickingstarts at THE PLACE WHERE YOU GOTO GET CLEAN..."I met this young lady while Iwas in there.

She befriended me,she said she was my friend, butshe ended up being mytrafficker."THAT WOMAN TOOK ADVANTAGE OF THEFACT THAT MYRA WAS HOMELESSAFTER LEAVING THE PROGRAM...ANDFORCED HER TO TRADE SEX FOR APLACE TO STAY."She would call me and say’where you at?

What you doing?’I could be at a doctor’sappointment for all she know,but she didn’t care.

Well ifyou’re not here at such and suctime, then I take that as ygot somewhere else to go, don’tcome back."MYRA SAYS IT TOOK HER ABOUT 6-8MONTHS TO BREAK FREE OF THESITUATION..."I think I didn’t know whattrafficking looked like, what itreally was, what it meant to betrafficked."BOTH WOMEN SAY THE BEST WAY TOPREVENT TRAFFICKING...STARTS ATHOME....WITH LOVING YOUR KIDSUNCONDITIONALLY AND BEINGCAREFUL ABOUT WHO’S IN THEIRCIRCLE.AS A COMMUNITY...THEY SAY THESEARE THE THINGS THAT SURVIVORSNEED TO THRIVE.."Counseling, maybe someresources, maybe a law againstdiscrimination."TO REPORT A CASE OF HUMATRAFFICKING ...YOU CAN CALL THENATIONAL HOTLINEAT...1-888-373-7888AND FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUHUMAN TRAFFICKING AND ITS MANYFORMS...VISIT OUR WE