Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Identifying human trafficking victims in Cincinnati

VT human trafficking task force

Healthcare workers, children's services employees and law enforcement personnel are trying to determine how many Cincinnati children are victims of human trafficking. The local numbers are unclear. State officials say every year between 1,000 and more than 3,000 young girls fall victim.

Identifying the signs of human trafficking can be difficult. Dr. Bob Shapiro, Director of the Child Abuse team at Cincinnati Children's Mayerson Center lists some of them.

  • sexual transmitted infections
  • injuries
  • drug addiction
  • having an older male companion
  • sexual abuse
  • runaway behavior
  • dropping out of school

Mayerson now has more money to train workers to look for those signs. The Ohio Department of Family Services is giving 26 children's advocacy centers more than $500,000 in funding.

Shapiro doesn't know how many girls fall victim here and says the state number of 1,000 to more than 3,000 victims may be inaccurate. It was back in February that Ohio declared war on human trafficking. Just weeks later somebody in Toledo reported one case. Then in June that 17 year old and eventually her 16 year old friend, both from Louisville were freed. Director of the Ohio Department of Public Safety John Born says a truck driver had abducted them and taken them to Michigan for prostitution. "Because of the efforts, collaborative efforts that took place, two young girls have a chance of recovery and that truck driver is now serving a prison term."

Ohio says the most common age of young girls to become victim of human trafficking is 13.

Ann Thompson has decades of journalism experience in the Greater Cincinnati market and brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to her reporting.