PHOENIX – The Arizona Attorney General’s Office (AGO) continues its year-round efforts to increase awareness and educate the public on the signs of human trafficking.
In attracting year-round tourism and hosting high-profile national events, Arizona is considered a prime destination for traffickers who take advantage of the millions of visitors and dollars coming into the state, to sell sex.
Michelle Rucker, a Strategic Initiatives Coordinator with the AGO explains how sex trafficking defies the stereotypes. The crime is happening in big cities and rural towns, and victims can be from any race, socio-economic background, or age. The average age of first-time victims in Arizona is 14 years old and oftentimes, vulnerable young people are lured over the internet.
The AGO trains law enforcement and the hospitality industry on the signs of human trafficking. In addition, the Community Outreach and Education Section travels statewide providing awareness presentations on trafficking for all who are interested. The program is available for youth or adults and instructs participants on how traffickers in Arizona recruit their victims, the role of social media, and the steps parents and others can take to protect children. It also advises people on what to do if they suspect someone may be a victim. Schools, faith groups, parents, and Arizonans who work within the foster care system or social services are especially encouraged to receive this training.
WARNING SIGNS - A victim of sex trafficking may:
- talk about an older boyfriend/girlfriend
- have expensive gifts from a new friend/boyfriend/girlfriend
- be inexplicably absent from school
- run away from home
- show signs of physical injury such as bruises or fractures
- be inappropriately dressed
- indicate signs of drug addiction
- exhibit malnutrition
- reference traveling to other cities
- exhibit changes in demeanor: fear, anxiety, depression, nervousness
- have a new tattoo of a person's name, barcode, or another strange symbol
AGTV sat down with Rucker to learn more:
Over the past seven years, the AGO has prosecuted or is currently prosecuting more than 350 cases connected to sex trafficking, child sex trafficking, sexual exploitation of minors, or illegal enterprises/money laundering in the trafficking arena, such as massage parlors.
To learn more about the AGO's role in combating human trafficking, click here.
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