HUMAN TRAFFICKING IS THE SECOND LEADING CRIME IN THE WORLD — INCLUDING THE UNITED STATES. IT IS SECOND ONLY TO DRUG TRAFFICKING, AND, IT IS ON THE RISE IN SOUTH CAROLINA.
There are more than 13 million missing and runaway children in the United States. It has become a telling statistic that if a runaway young person is not recovered with the first 48 hours, there is a high likelihood he or she will be trafficked.
Here in Bluffton and on Hilton Head Island, a local organization, the Lowcountry Coalition Against Human Trafficking, has been escalating its efforts to build awareness of the dangers of this criminal epidemic, which has tripled in the past three years across the nation as well as in both South Carolina and Georgia, according to the National Human Trafficking Resource Center based in Washington, D.C.
Mary Jo Riley, board president of the coalition, recently held awareness conferences in Bluffton and on Hilton Head, as well as a volunteer recruitment seminar to shed additional light on the topic and enlist local residents to help with public awareness, advocacy for stronger federal and state legislation and provide assistance to victims of trafficking to help rebuild their lives and reintegrate them into society.
According to Riley, the coalition was formed almost six years ago under the auspices of the Zonta Club of Hilton Head Island, but has been re-energized over the past two years by the growth of the problem. "We have a passion for uncovering and eradicating this form of modern-day slavery through public education and advocacy," she said, noting that the local area has a high potential for trafficking due in part to the major events that are held here and the transient tourist population.
Bluffton resident and coalition board member Max Fratoddi is a retired FBI agent and adviser on international human trafficking who is at the forefront of the local program to increase alertness to this issue and recognition of suspicious activity. At the recent conference held at Hilton Head Island's Christian Renewal Church, he pointed to three key factors that have spiked the sexual exploitation portion of human trafficking across America:
- Promotional music propaganda by rappers like 50 Cent, who indoctrinate teenage girls and young men about the "cool lifestyle" of pimping and prostitution.
- Increased use by sex traffickers of hired good-looking guys in their late teens or early 20s to lure underage teenagers into running away from an abusive or boring home situation with the enticement of an exciting relationship. Much of this recruitment is done on social media like Facebook and Instagram.
- False advertising on Internet sites like BackPage and Craigslist.
According to many reports, many underaged girls are being targeted for sex exploitation on BackPage. One ABC News Nightline story told of a 17-year-old who was being pimped regularly by her boyfriend on BackPage and had generated more than $30,000 for him.
Fratoddi said the United States is both a source country and a destination country for human trafficking, and in the arena of sex-trafficking, it is teens from abusive homes as well as runaways, orphans and homeless who are the most vulnerable.
South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson recently announced his office would take an aggressive approach toward fighting human trafficking throughout the state. At the conference, S.C. Law Enforcement Division representatives affirmed Fratoddi's observation, noting that individuals who victimize underage girls tend to focus on troubled youth, warning "parents need to be vigilant about where their children are and who they are with."
Riley said the coalition has begun working closely with the Beaufort County Solicitor's Office to serve as a resource and build awareness. She said a program to teach about the dangers of human trafficking to youngsters has been developed. Work has also been done with the local Boys & Girls Clubs, as well as a training program for Jasper County schools. However, she has been disappointed that little traction has been made with Beaufort County schools, "where it doesn't seem to be a priority."
Those looking to learn more about human trafficking or to volunteer with the coalition should email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. As a nonprofit organization, the coalition also accepts donations to help underwrite programs and printing costs. Donations can be mailed to Lowcountry Coalition Against Human Trafficking, P.O. Box 22853, Hilton Head Island, SC 29925.
