Alabama is Seeing a Rise in Human Trafficking; Concerns Raised

Human trafficking has grown into a multimillion-dollar business and continues to excel in the revenue it brings.

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Shelby County District Attorney Matt Casey recently told WBRC the importance of educating Alabamians about one of the world's fastest-growing illegal industries.

“Many times, our victims are children who have had a history of being abused or perhaps runaways,” Casey said.

“The average victim age is 11 to 15, and if you think about it, that’s many times where our victims may be the most vulnerable, they look for victims that they can approach and groom.”

According to DHS.gov, some signs are when someone is disconnected from family, friends, community organizations, or houses of worship. Other signs could be a child engaged in a commercial sex act. Another sign could be a victim that is fearful or timid with bruises at different points of healing.

These and other indicators don’t always have to be there for it to be human trafficking. Unfortunately, there is no “surefire” way to determine if someone is a human trafficking victim. Alabama has taken action to fight human trafficking by making it illegal to participate in these transactions.

According to the Code of Alabama, if someone benefits financially or receives any value in any way from a human trafficking transaction, they could be found guilty of human trafficking in the second degree. Those who force minors into labor servitude, sexual servitude, or obtain, entice, or recruit for these activities can be found guilty of human trafficking in the first degree.