‘It can happen to anybody’: Officials highlight warning signs of human trafficking

By Riley Funk

Law enforcement officials are emphasizing the dangers of human trafficking and what parents can look out for during the month of January.

January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month, and Sgt. Shane Hux of the Missouri State Highway Patrol said trafficking is a big concern for parents, especially parents of teenagers.

“(For victims), the average age of a person is 15 years of age,” Hux said. “Human trafficking is an exploitation of a person. Eighty percent of it is for commercial sex, and then 20% of it is for labor.”

Locally, the crime can happen at truck stops, gas stations and rest areas, more commonly, along heavily traveled roadways, including Interstate 29 and Interstate 35, according to law enforcement.

Many factors can play a role in human trafficking, including homelessness and substance abuse.

Hux said the trend is the victim is more likely to be trafficked by someone that they know rather than a complete stranger.

“Prime example is an older boyfriend, older girlfriend taking these kids off, and exposing them of these types of behaviors,” Hux said.

According to the National Human Trafficking Hotline, there were 240 cases identified in Missouri in 2021. From these cases, there were a total of 327 victims.

During that timeframe, nationwide, there were a total of 10,360 trafficking cases, with 16,710 victims involved.

Warning signs that someone might be trafficked include a decline in health, malnourishment, changes in behavior and bar-coded tattoos. Victims can also be showered with expensive gifts including iPhones and iPads in order to groom the victim down the road.

It is something that Hux said involves the parents with keeping a closer eye on their kids.

“Look what they’re doing on social media. Know who their friends are, who they’re hanging out with, because a lot of times these kids are recruited to come into that,” Hux said.

Even with these potential signs in place, younger people still might not know they are victims of human trafficking.

“They may think that the person really loves them, they care about them. They’re showering them with gifts, then whenever it gets to that point in time (where they realize they are being trafficked), a lot of times it’s too late,” Hux said.

Hux said the most important thing for parents and kids to do is to be aware this situation can happen to anyone and to always keep their eyes open.

“The worst attitude we can have is, ‘It’s never going to happen to me or to anybody that I know.” Just assume that it can happen to anybody, any age, any race, any gender,” Hux said.