Photo: Polk County Sheriff’s Office
After 108 people were arrested — including Disney employees and a court judge — during a six-day undercover human trafficking operation in Florida, one woman told officials she was ready for help.
Most people being trafficked don’t often realize they’re being trafficked, says Marianne Thomas, senior director of anti-trafficking mobile teams forOne More Child, a non-profit group that provides faith-based services to children and struggling families. Thomas worked alongside the Polk County Sheriff’s Office Vice Unit during its operation.
“For people who have been trafficked, they’re hidden away from people,” she says. “Operations like this bring [the issue] out into the light. It gives people a chance to ask for help.”
Traffickers have evolved through the years and no longer look like menacing predators hiding in dark corners. Instead, they appear as friends and boyfriends, grooming their victims who eventually appear to go freely with them, she says.
“[Victims] have to recognize they’re being trafficked,” she said, which isn’t easy. “Most people don’t self-identify until they’re out of it. Once they get a chance to get counseling, they can say the person they thought was their boyfriend, they can say, ‘This person was actually exploiting me.'”
Polk County Sheriff’s Office
“The arrests of a human trafficker and four child predators alone makes this whole operation worthwhile,” stated Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd. “The on-line prostitution industry enables traffickers and victimizes those who are being trafficked. Our goal is to identify victims, offer them help, and find and arrest those who are profiting from the exploitation of human beings.”
During a lengthypress conferenceon Wednesday, Judd highlighted suspects whose allegations he found particularly troubling. Among them were Disney employees, a worker at the Fun Spot family amusement park, a woman accused of trafficking another young woman, and a retired Illinois judge.
Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up forPEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletterfor breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.
Thomas pointed out that predators do not fit neatly into a single demographic. They congregate wherever children are, she said.
“Traffickers, johns and buyers, they come in every shape and size,” she says. “Society, as a whole, is getting better at protecting children, but predators will go wherever there are children.”
If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.
source: people.com
