Last month, Harris County authorities found a 19 year old woman living in captivity at a motel on Highway 290. She was brought from her home state of Alaska to Houston “for the purpose of the commercial sex trade” after being contacted by human traffickers on Facebook. This incident is horrible, but it is no surprise. Unfortunately, Houston has become a national hub for human trafficking.

January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month. The good news is that this year we are celebrating impactful changes in both state and federal law to combat human trafficking and Texans are on the front lines. In 2015, Congress took rare bipartisan action and passed the comprehensive anti-trafficking law that I authored along with Senator Cornyn. JVTA is a comprehensive law that includes a wide variety of reforms. The legislation helps victims get the shelter and services they need, providing them with a fresh start. Furthermore, it ensures that those who have been sold into the marketplace of sex slavery are treated as victims rather than as criminals. It strengthens law enforcement tools to take down human traffickers. Finally, the law targets the predators who purchase trafficked human beings.  Now that JVTA is law, the real work to end 21^st century slavery in this nation has begun.

Anyone who knew me as a Judge in Harris County knows that I strongly believe in not only punishing the people who commit horrendous crimes, both seller and buyers but also helping victims rebuild their lives. As a father, I refuse to sit back while children are being bought and sold in our own country. That’s why I authored JVTA–to provide law enforcement with new tools to apprehend those who commit these heinous crimes, and to provide resources for restoration for the survivors.  As Houstonians, Texans, and Americans we must make it known that our children are not for sale.

When people think of human trafficking, the images that come to mind are of cowering, scared and restrained bodies, involuntary victims who have been exploited and enslaved.  Our reaction to these terrible images: we have to save these people.

Campaigns defining human trafficking in this way have been extremely effective in raising public awareness and inspiring legislative reform, but they only capture a small part of the human trafficking spectrum.  They also create an unreasonable expectation about what constitutes a human trafficking victim.

The reality is that the vast majority of human trafficking victims in the United States are not young foreign children held in captivity: rather, they are troubled runaway teenagers, home-grown American citizens who have been manipulated by pimps and other predators. These children are damaged and vulnerable – according to the Children’s Assessment Center, nearly 90 percent of human trafficking victims suffered prior child abuse.   Often these children don’t know that people having sex with them whenever they want is wrong much less illegal.

These are “messy” kids, which makes it less likely that society will protect them.  This vulnerability makes them easy prey for predators, who select the weakest and most damaged children.

While successful at raising awareness, the human trafficking campaign has actually made convicting human traffickers much more difficult.  At trial, jurors expect to hear a story of rescue and redemption, but often instead find themselves listening to an overly-sexualized child with a false sense of control, who maintain, “I chose this life.   I am not a victim.”

This is not true.  These girls (and boys) are victims who need our help, even if they are not asking you for it.

Their misplaced loyalty is understandable in context.  Vulnerable, damaged and yearning for attention, they are groomed by their exploiters with promises of love, and often refer to their pimp as their “daddy” or “boyfriend,” ceding control over their lives in exchange for affection and security.  It can take years to break these bonds.

There is little incentive for traffickers not to exploit these children.  According to the Texas Human Trafficking Prevention Task Force, many pimps have gotten out of selling drugs and into selling humans. Unlike a drug, you can sell the same human over and over and over again.

The children pose little threat to them because effective placement and counseling resources are limited and because they deny the abuse.  Children commonly escape back to the streets and refuse to attend court proceedings.

Since creating the Human Trafficking Section in 2013, the Harris County District Attorney’s Office has identified over six hundred cases related to human trafficking.  Each of these cases requires extensive and careful police investigation and long-term counseling and rehabilitation for the victim.

This requires money, time, and commitment.  To get there, we have to define human trafficking beyond the sad and shocking images we see in campaigns.  We have to be just as ready to welcome home and protect our most vulnerable and compromised children, no matter how unsympathetic they appear to be.  After all, a person cannot be redeemed without first having been given the chance to be redeemed.

January was National Human Trafficking Awareness month and organizations all around the U.S. took action to increase awareness about modern-day slavery. The staggering facts that 20% of human trafficking victims in the U.S. travel through Texas along the I-10 corridor and 50% of victims in the U.S. are children put it beyond debate that we cannot just ignore our country’s second largest criminal industry.
Crime Stoppers joined in this nationwide initiative to spread the word about human trafficking. We educated our community about misconceptions and ways to protect yourself and others (the insights and tips as well as informative blog entries are still available online at www.crime-stoppers.org). Additionally, we highlighted human trafficking fugitives wanted in Harris County.

January was also a big month for our anti-animal cruelty engagement. Together with the Houston Humane Society, Houston PetSet, the Houston Police Department, the Harris County District Attorney’s Office, and Harris County Constable’s Office Precinct 5, we were proud to announce a newly formed task force on January 15. Monty’s Task Force aims at ending the abuse, neglect and cruel treatment of horses, specifically in the Acre’s Homes and surrounding areas (click here more information).
Just 3 days later, we held a press conference including the Harris County District Attorney’s Office, Harris County Constable Precinct 5, Houston Humane Society and Pet Paradise to ask for the public’s help in tracking down a suspect who abandoned two badly-injured puppies (watch here).
January 19 through 22, we partnered with the Harris County Sheriffs’ Office Warrants Division for an animal cruelty fugitive sweep with the very successful results of 11 felony warrant and 25 misdemeanor warrant arrested, 11 felony warrants and 37 misdemeanor warrants cleared and 1 new misdemeanor charge filed. At the end of the month we joined a Houston Humane Society event as part of Monty’s Task Force to share crucial animal safety information.

At the same time, we diligently reached out to students all around Houston to educate them on how to stay safe on campus, including internet safety, bullying and human trafficking prevention. We talked to students at YES Prep Hoffman, Houston Gateway Academy Evergreen and Lovett Elementary (pictured on the left Lovett Elementary’s “media team” which video taped our entire Safe School presentation and even interviewed us at the end!)

Safe community program managers joined Sheriff Ron Hickman and the Harris County Sheriff’s Office for a captive discussion about community issues, including the new Open Carry Law (Read more about the law here). In response to a recent study’s findings that 53% of 6 year old’s have a cell phone, Crime Stoppers Executive Director Rania Mankarious talked to Tiffany Craig with KHOU 11 about the mobile safety for young kids. 

At the end of January, we shared some important Valentine’s Day safety tips in an interview with Anoushah Rasta on KPRC2 and KPRC2 and contributed to The Buzz Magazines with the first of a series of blogs: Sunday Mornings with Rania: Homelessness in Houston.

Detailed numbers on our Tip Line Program are stated below:

During the month of January, the Crime Stoppers of Houston Tip Line:

• Received 616 tips
  • 6 tips – Solved felony cases
  • 44 tips – Executed felony warrants
• Arrested 41 suspects
• Solved/executed 50 cases
• Cleared 40 offense reports
• Paid 44 anonymous informants

During the month of January, the Safe School Program:

• Solved 6 school – based cases
• Visited 11 Schools
• Held 19 Safe School presentations
• Trained 1,758 students

A Legislative Update

Human trafficking is a multi-faceted problem and fighting this egregious crime requires a number of stakeholders and tactics. Comprehensive legislation and sound public policy are crucial components to laying a successful framework for tackling this issue. In 2000, the federal government passed our nation’s hallmark anti-trafficking legislation: The Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA). In 2003, Texas became one of the first two states in the nation to enact a trafficking statute by adding Chapter 20A, Trafficking of Persons to the Texas Penal Code.

CHILDREN AT RISK works alongside other anti-trafficking advocates to help advance our state laws each legislative session. Texans should be proud to know that their lawmakers have continuously improved our state’s laws in this arena, and national rankings of state legislative frameworks consistently place Texas in the top tier. Following changes made by the 84^thLegislature in 2015, Shared Hope International awarded Texas a grade of A for its legal framework to fight child sex trafficking. The Lone Star State is one of only six states to achieve this status.

Dozens of bills were filed in 2015 to address human trafficking. Legislators designated January as Human Trafficking Prevention Month in Texas and established a task force to improve data collection on human trafficking and other crimes. Lawmakers also created a Human Trafficking Business Partnership program through the Texas Secretary of State to allow businesses that voluntarily take steps to prevent and combat human trafficking to apply for a certificate of recognition.

The Texas Human Trafficking Prevention Task Force was extended for another two years and given the added responsibility of identifying recommendations for addressing the demand for forced labor and sexual slavery. It was first established in 2009 and has been a powerful and effective mechanism for promoting training, gathering information from across the state, and developing policy recommendations. House Bill 10 (Thompson/Huffman) was an omnibus bill founded on recommendations from the Task Force and passed in 2015. Some key provisions are highlighted below:

• Created a Child Sex Trafficking Prevention Unit in the Governor’s Criminal Justice Division to serve as a statewide resource for assisting agencies and facilitating collaborative efforts for prevention, victim placement, rehabilitation, data collection, and prosecution.
• Clarified that school districts and open-enrollment charter schools must have a policy in place for reporting human trafficking as a form of child abuse.
• Ensured that members of the judiciary receive training on human trafficking.
• Improved the eligibility of trafficking victims to receive compensation under the Crime Victims’ Compensation Act.
• Removed the statute of limitations for compelling prostitution of a minor, improving the ability to prosecute pimps who victimize children.
• Improved the ability to prosecute and punish those who seek to purchase sex from minors. The law enables charging sex buyers with a second degree felony if the person from whom they were soliciting represented themselves to be a minor or they believed them to be a minor. The law also requires individuals who purchase sex from minors to register as sex offenders.

As we enter 2016, Texans should be proud of their state’s commitment to fighting human trafficking; however, our work is far from over. Strong laws mean little without effective implementation, and local communities have the ability to promote meaningful prevention, protection, prosecution, and partnerships. Additionally, protections and services for victims continue to be identified as the area with the most room for improvement. Texas lawmakers reconvene in January 2017, and we look forward to working with various stakeholders during this interim period to identify policy solutions for the 85^th Legislative Session.

The common thread that ties all of us to human trafficking are the stories of people exploited by others without regard for their inherent humanity. When I started working for United Against Human Trafficking these stories sounded like fiction, as if this reality was too stark and painful to comprehend. Sadly, these stories are far too common and entirely nonfiction. The natural reaction of many, is to seek ways to help the victims and hold those who have been let down by society. The desire to bring a victim of human trafficking to safety is not uncommon. But, when placed in such a situation, face to face with an actual victim without training and resources, good intention does nothing for those in danger. This is not to say that individuals cannot make a difference, it is to make clear that our role as good community members doesn’t have to be direct service. It is a frustrating reality, but we want our volunteers and supporters not to be discouraged, but to seek ways that they can be invaluable in the fight. Our role belongs in awareness. Our mission lies in the question; what if these crimes never happened?

A utopic thought, I know, but a world we strive for at UAHT. Modern-day slaves are not hidden in some faraway tunnel, but in broad daylight in a well-known public areas and in your neighborhood. Forced labor is predictable and can be detected if you know what to look for. You may encounter victims in a neighbor’s nanny, your nail technician, a favorite local restaurant- the opportunities for exploitation are endless. This is an unsettling thought however, there is hope. By teaching community members to identify red flags and outlining steps for reporting the crime, we put thousands of trained eyes on these perpetrators. With training doctors, nurses, firefighters, policemen and other frontline professionals can properly identify human trafficking within our streets, hospitals and schools; becoming an instant task force against trafficking. Through teaching at risk youth how to protect themselves and others from the dangers of a trafficker we create a more informed Houston.

We believe in the power of knowledge. We are committed to the ideal that an informed public ends the demand. We utilize awareness as our strongest tool because stopping a crime before it happens saves lives.