WINK News: Human trafficking in Southwest Florida
By Reporter Amy Galo
A shadow is cast on the Sunshine State by the dark criminal world of human trafficking.
Naples Police say, in terms of human trafficking, Florida ranks third in the nation.
Many refer to the illegal 150 billion-dollar-a-year industry as a form of modern-day slavery, with millions of victims.
The CEO of the Shelter for Abused Women & Children in Naples told WINK News that Fort Myers and Naples rank among the top three cities in Florida for human trafficking hotline calls.
Shockingly, the average age of victims in those cities is 15 years old.
“There’s a myth that many victims of human trafficking are kidnapped. And that truly is a myth,” said Linda Oberhaus from the Shelter for Abused Women & Children.
While kidnapping cases happen.
“Predominantly, they’re befriended,” said Oberhaus. “They are chosen. They’re not taken.”
The reality is that many are chosen, not taken.
“They’ll hone in on whatever that victim doesn’t have. And then make every effort to meet that victim’s needs,” said Oberhaus.
Injecting themselves into the lives of their victims.
“They’re known as Romeo’s,” said Oberhaus. “They just look like average people, they don’t look like monsters.”
Some of these so-called ‘Romeos’ are teenagers. On average, they’re sex-trafficking targets are 15-year-old girls.
“As hard as it is at 15 to have open communication with your parents, it’s so very important,” said Oberhaus.
It’s important to be wary of the warning signs. Some of which are force, fraud, coercion, or… “Taking a photograph or a video of a girl and threatening to make that picture public,” said Oberhaus.
Another warning sign is introducing drugs to a victim.
“When victims become addicted to these drugs, they become much more vulnerable to the control of that trafficker,” said Oberhaus.
However, oftentimes victims don’t know they are a human trafficking target until it’s too late.
“The victims literally think these traffickers are their boyfriends,” said Oberhaus. “They’re not their boyfriends at all. They’re well-known traffickers to our local law enforcement.”
Oberhaus explained that more than 70 human trafficking victims have received help from The Shelter since 2005.
If you, or someone you know, needs help call the Shelter’s hotline at 239-775-1101.
You can also visit the website here.
If you, or someone you know, needs to contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888.
