What is Human Trafficking?
Modern-Day Slavery
Sex trafficking is the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, obtaining, patronizing, or soliciting of a person for the purpose of a commercial sex act — induced by force, fraud, or coercion — or in which the person has not attained 18 years of age. Human trafficking is not limited to the sex trade; it also includes labor trafficking in fields, restaurants, construction sites, and private homes. It is the second largest criminal industry in the world, estimated at $236 billion annually.
Global & National Overview
Ohio Statistics
Why Ohio?
Ohio has become an attractive target for traffickers for several reasons: it has the nation's highest number of truck stops, a major interstate highway system, and proximity to the Canadian border through Toledo. Ohio is considered both a destination and a recruitment hub for trafficking victims — both foreign-born and domestic. Labor trafficking cases in Ohio have also risen sharply, with identified cases increasing from 6 to 23 in a two-year span.
Toledo & Lucas County
Toledo: A Per-Capita Leader in Child Sex Trafficking
Toledo has long been flagged as a national hotspot for child sex trafficking. A RAND Corporation study identified Toledo as a possible national and regional center for juvenile sex trafficking. As of 2023, Toledo ranks as the fourth largest gateway city in the U.S. for child sex tourism — a reduction from third place in 2010, reflecting progress made by local nonprofits, law enforcement, and government agencies working together.
Due to Toledo's and Lucas County's smaller population compared to other ranked cities, researchers have noted that Toledo must be considered the per-capita leader of the nation for child sex trafficking activity. Its location — a port city approximately 55 miles southwest of Windsor, Ontario — makes it a corridor through which victims are transported to other cities.
Local Response: REACH (Northern Ohio Regional Efforts Aimed to Combat Human Trafficking)
Originally founded as the Lucas County Human Trafficking Coalition in 2009, REACH is one of the longest-running anti-trafficking coalitions in Ohio. In 2023, the organization expanded its scope to serve Lucas, Wood, Ottawa, Sandusky, and Seneca counties. REACH provides awareness and prevention education to thousands of people each year and networks service providers and concerned citizens to better support victims, survivors, and thrivers. The University of Toledo's Human Trafficking and Social Justice Institute also plays a key research and prevention role in the region.
How Traffickers Groom & Control Victims
Contrary to popular belief, traffickers rarely use kidnapping. Instead, they use a careful psychological process called grooming to gain a victim's trust before exploiting them. This process can take weeks or months.
Target the Victim
Traffickers identify vulnerabilities — loneliness, trauma, homelessness, unstable home life, or lack of supportive adults — and seek victims online or in person.
Gain Their Trust
Through attention, compliments, gifts, and affection, the trafficker builds a relationship and presents themselves as a friend, mentor, or romantic partner.
Meet Their Needs
The trafficker provides shelter, food, money, or drugs — creating dependence and making the victim feel indebted or obligated.
Isolate Them
The victim is gradually separated from family, friends, and support systems. The trafficker becomes their primary — and often only — relationship.
Exploitation
Once control is established, the trafficker begins exploiting the victim for sex or labor, often introducing drugs, threats, or violence to maintain compliance.
Maintaining Control
Through fear, debt bondage, confiscation of ID, threats of deportation, and psychological manipulation, the trafficker keeps the victim trapped.
Recognizing the Warning Signs
Not all indicators are present in every situation. The presence or absence of any one sign is not proof of trafficking. If you suspect trafficking, contact law enforcement — do not attempt to intervene alone.
Legal Framework
Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (TVPA)
The TVPA was the first federal law to address human trafficking in the United States. It focuses on the international components of trafficking and establishes criminal sanctions for traffickers and purchasers, as well as protections for victims. It was expanded by the Preventing Sex Trafficking and Strengthening Families Act of 2015, which added provisions specifically protecting children in foster care and strengthening identification of at-risk youth.
Ohio Law: ORC Section 2905.32
Ohio Revised Code Section 2905.32 defines Ohio's legal definition of human trafficking. Ohio has doubled the number of human trafficking task forces within the state in recent years, improving the chances of identifying victims and prosecuting offenders across the region.
If You See Something, Say Something
Report a Trafficking Tip
Available 24/7, toll-free, multilingual. It's better to make the call — you may be saving a life.
National Trafficking Hotline
1-888-373-7888
Text "HELP" or "INFO" to
233733 (BeFree)
Federal Law Enforcement Tip Line
1-866-347-2423
Emergency
Call 911
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