ORLANDO, Fla. — An anti-human trafficking task force in Central Florida is gearing up for an influx of traffickers ahead of the Pro Bowl this weekend.
- Large events attract traffickers
- Average age of entry for sex trade at 12 to 14
- Girls, woman are likely targets, but boys, men can be exploited
"We always work in the weeks leading up to a large event like this and put extra effort into that," says Ron Stucker, the director of the Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation (MBI).
The big crowds and the game also attract the traffickers, in part because they can hide in plain sight.
"It's going to bring in money and more people, and so with that, the traffickers know that they can come and exploit all of that," explains Mikala Klein, a victim specialist with the MBI. "So with the influx of people, there's also the influx of our girls and our boys that are being exploited."
Klein says the average age of entry for the commercial sex trade is 12 to 14 years old. It is often girls and women being exploited, but boys and men can be too, explained Klein.
Stucker says authorities are working closely with the people who may be the first to encounter victims - hotel workers, cab drivers and ride-share drivers – and educating them about what human trafficking looks like.
It could be women and girls who show signs of fear and injury, who are not allowed to speak for themselves.
Authorities are asking people going to the game to report any behavior they believe to be suspicious.
