Florida lawmakers and new legislation crack down on human trafficking

by Amanda Lojewski

LEE COUNTY, Fla. – The state’s Attorney General Ashley Moody wants workers in the state to be trained to look for the signs of human trafficking.

“We know first-hand accounts where a trucker at a rest stop knew the signs. Was trained on the signs of human trafficking and rescued a victim, so we know this will work,” said Moody.

Moody’s goal is to train 100,000 people by the end of the year. She also asked businesses to train their employees to spot the signs. There’s even a one hour training course you can take on the state’s website.

Not only has Moody made a push for change, but a new Florida bill also hopes to do the same.

When you think about human trafficking you may think about movies like ‘Taken’ for example where girls are kidnapped. But victims of human trafficking are often chosen not taken. That’s according to Linda Oberhaus, the CEO for The Shelter for Abused Women and Children.

Pastor Jeanie Turner is the Executive Director at One Way Out Ministries. She said, “she’s not just selling her body she’s being sold.” Pastor Turner says human trafficking often starts with a relationship. Oberhaus says traffickers are master manipulators.

“It’s the buyers of women and girls who are creating the demand for traffickers to then manipulate other young women into the life of human trafficking,” said Oberhaus.

To try and crackdown on human trafficking State Representative Jackie Toledo of Tampa filed a bill that makes paying for sex a third-degree felony, that’s up from a first-degree misdemeanor.

Advocates say the bill is a good start.

The bill also focuses on hotels and motels which means the hourly rate is prohibited. It also goes one step further to protect the victims. Under the bill, those victims could have their records expunged.

“I think about the very first girl I helped off the streets she was being human trafficked her records of you know prostitution were actually records of human trafficking to have those expunged is to have her record wiped out and have her vindicated,” said Pastor Turner.

The bill would do one more thing. It would create a statewide data repository at the University of South Florida to track human trafficking trends.

The bill will be heard during the legislative session happening right now.