JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – As Human Trafficking Prevention Month comes to a close, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office is giving a rare look inside its vice unit and the cases they encounter.
Many think of human trafficking as something that happens in the shadows, but that’s not always the case. It can happen in plain sight, even on the side of the road.
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“About a year ago, we had a concerned citizen call in, luckily for us, she was aware of what was going on. She remained vigilant. She noticed that there was a small young child, younger than 11 years old, who was being sold by her own mother,” said JSO Vice Unit Commander Jordan Dowling.
The officer says that the mother was advertising her daughter to anyone willing to pay.
“She was being advertised to men for sexual encounters. She was being advertised to anybody that would take her just for a small amount of money of $20 so that the mom could continue to buy drugs to feed her addiction. She called the police. She did the right thing. She did what we would ask the public to do,” Dowling said.
Authorities say reporting suspected trafficking is crucial, even if there’s uncertainty.
“We would much rather unfound a suspicion of human trafficking than it goes unreported,” Dowling said.
Florida among top states for trafficking reports
Human trafficking affects both juveniles and adults. Under state law, anyone under 18 who is involved in prostitution is considered a victim.
“The way that the statutes are written is, any person that engages in prostitution under the age of 18 is technically a human trafficking victim,” Dowling explained.
Last year, JSO rescued six victims and made 16 arrests in human trafficking cases. In 2022, officers arrested seven suspects, while in 2023, there were four arrests.
Statewide, Florida received more than 1,200 tips related to human trafficking in 2023.
Increased rewards for reporting trafficking
To start 2024, Florida lawmakers took new steps to combat human trafficking. Then-Attorney General Ashley Moody increased the reward for Crime Stoppers tips related to human trafficking cases from $3,000 to $7,500. Additionally, human trafficking awareness signs were placed at all 53 truck stops in the state.
The goal is to help the public recognize the warning signs of trafficking and encourage them to report suspicious activity.
Know the signs
Experts say there are key indicators that someone may be a victim of human trafficking.
“Changes in circumstances, disassociation from friends, distancing yourselves from family, their clothes may look different, their speech may sound different—just things that don’t look right, and you don’t have an explanation as to why they’ve kind of gone off the edge or gone off the deep end,” Dowling said.
Authorities urge the public to remain vigilant. If something seems off, they say it’s always better to report it.