Human trafficking is often hidden in plain sight.
Even for a seasoned investigator like Ryan Hilton, who knows how to spot all the signs, recognizing a potential trafficking situation can still be incredibly difficult.
“When a patrol officer pulls over a vehicle with four occupants, one male and three females ... and it’s for a simple traffic violation; ... there’s no overt crime necessarily,” said Hilton, an assistant special agent with the GBI’s Human Exploitation and Trafficking (HEAT) unit. “It’s one of those things where it’s right in front of you but if it doesn’t jump off the page with some of the indicators of human trafficking, it’s really just people traveling.”
Identifying traffickers has never been simple, but heightened awareness and additional resources dedicated to solving the problem have helped. Investigations are on the rise in Georgia, and so are convictions, officials said.
Hilton said the HEAT unit, created in 2020, is on track to double the number of cases it investigates this fiscal year, increasing from about 100 each of the previous three years. They have been particularly successful, he said, in engaging suspects online and cracking down on illicit businesses.
The seven HEAT agents work with agencies like the Georgia Attorney General’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit to help compile evidence that can be used to prosecute cases.
Attorney General Chris Carr told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution during an exclusive interview that the state is at the forefront nationwide in the fight against society’s abhorrent exploitation of individuals, which is more often than not intertwined with gang activity. In 2023, the trafficking prosecution unit rescued 129 victims and secured 29 convictions, building on the numbers from 2022 (116 victims saved, five convictions) and 2021 (107 victims saved, three convictions).
“There really isn’t any other state that has put this fine a point (and) put this sustained effort at prosecuting buyers and sellers like Georgia,” said Carr, whose unit was created in 2019 with the support of Gov. Brian Kemp, first lady Marty Kemp and leaders in the Georgia General Assembly.
It’s right in front of you
It’s estimated that there are about 1.5 million trafficking victims in the U.S., most of whom are children. Georgia is among the top 10 states with the highest instances of human trafficking, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said recently.
Amelia Quinn, founder of BELOVED Atlanta, a nonprofit aiding women emerging from trafficking, stated that suspects typically target girls and boys ages 12 to 17. Victims often come from backgrounds of severe neglect, abuse, foster care, group homes, shelters or homelessness.
“Traffickers are really good and adept at identifying those vulnerabilities and offer the girls things that they need in terms of belonging, care, attention, love, relationship,” said Miriam McGee, clinical director at BELOVED.
So what makes Atlanta a prime location for trafficking? The world’s busiest airport, large corporations that attract employees from around the world, venues hosting mega events, and easy accessibility to multiple connecting interstates all contribute, said Lt. James Steen with the Georgia Department of Public Safety.
Since traffickers often use highways to transport victims, the DPS’ Motor Carrier Compliance Division is responsible for cracking down on commercial vehicles that could be involved. During an exclusive ride-along on I-20 in DeKalb County with the AJC, Officer Terrell Truitt explained that his job is to inspect and pull over commercial trucks, but he’s also asked to keep an eye out for trafficking.
Credit: Jason.Getz@ajc.com
Credit: Jason.Getz@ajc.com
The DPS collaborated with Truckers Against Trafficking, a nonprofit group educating drivers about the signs, during January’s National Human Trafficking Prevention Month. Truitt, during traffic stops for regulation violations, informed truck drivers about the group and how to identify trafficking while driving for work.
While on patrol, Truitt looks for those signs — unauthorized passengers, modifications to trailers, any items related to sex or children, IDs that don’t belong to the driver — and emphasized that “most people will never know unless you know exactly what you’re looking for.”
Increase in investigation, prosecution
About 80% of human trafficking in Georgia is linked to gangs, Carr said.
The AG’s prosecution unit is the state’s first of its kind, and the Gang Prosecution Unit, founded in 2022, has investigators and prosecutors in Atlanta, Augusta and Albany. The two have worked together extensively, including most recently in December with the indictment of an alleged gang member accused of trafficking a woman with a developmental disability in Clayton County.
Carr’s office has requested funding from the governor to expand the gang unit to Columbus, Macon and Savannah starting in July, which he said will lead them to investigate more cases.
“That’s gonna be a force multiplier for both gangs and human trafficking by having this presence around the state,” he said.
And with trafficking moving more online in recent years, Hilton said some operations have also gone digital. In Bryan County, three people were arrested on sex trafficking charges and 14 were accused of pandering as part of an online and undercover operation in which the GBI partnered with several agencies, including the Motor Carrier Compliance Division, officials announced Wednesday.
“We’re actively online engaging with potential traffickers and have made cases from that interaction, which leads to a meeting in person,” Hilton explained.
Credit: Jason.Getz@ajc.com
Credit: Jason.Getz@ajc.com
Carr said the increase in convictions is proof that the state is making substantial progress, but victims are sometimes unwilling to participate in the prosecution. So Carr has replaced their testimony with expert witnesses who can explain to the jury the level of coercion traffickers hold over victims, as well as analysts who share with the court how technology is used to locate suspects and victims.
“Historically, traffickers would count on their cases being dismissed if the victim didn’t cooperate, and we’re changing that. And we’ve proven that you can be successful in securing convictions,” Carr said.
Putting an end to it
Making arrests hasn’t become easier, but Carr said community partnerships have made law enforcement more effective. He said citizens are now more knowledgeable about the signs of trafficking and often submit tips.
The legal process isn’t the only way to stop trafficking, which is why Quinn and McGee directly assist victims. Women who are referred to BELOVED’s two-year program are taught life skills that are meant to prevent them from returning to another trafficking situation.
“There’s such a way of feeling so trapped and really believing that there’s really nothing better or more outside of (being trafficked),” McGee said.
Making apprehension even more difficult, Hilton said he has learned through the years that some victims won’t ask police for help in fear of further abuse from their attacker. Even when law enforcement has a suspect in handcuffs for questioning, for example, he said victims can remain reluctant to speak up and evidence can be difficult to obtain.
That’s why he stressed the importance of changing the public’s perception about trafficking, getting them more involved, empowering victims and decreasing the demand.
“We have to get the public to understand that human trafficking in its form is slavery,” Hilton said.
GET HELP
Are you or someone you know being sold for sex or forced to work for little or no pay and cannot leave? Call the National Human Trafficking Resource Center at 1-888-373-7888 or the Statewide Georgia Hotline for Human Trafficking at 1-866-ENDHTGA (1-866-363-4842) for help.
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