State of Nebraska cites improvement in fighting human trafficking

BEATRICE – Governor Pete Ricketts has proclaimed January as Human Trafficking Awareness Month…highlighting recent progress that included changes in state law to fight the crime.

"While there are federal laws against human trafficking, if that human trafficking does not cross state lines....then that is a state offense, so it's important to have strong laws on the books here to be able to prosecute human traffickers."

Two such recent laws included removing the statute of limitations off of trafficking minors, and placing casinos among the places were patrons are aware and the businesses must provide information on suspected trafficking.  Ricketts pointed out human sex or labor trafficking can happen anywhere….as witnessed in a recent prosecution in Furnas County, Nebraska. Attorney General Doug Petersen said trafficking can occur in the smallest communities.

"It was Oxford, Nebraska...a very small community...and a person who really felt he was above the law and that he can traffic a fifteen year old girl around the community and around the county and area, and not have any repercussions for it. The whole process came together in the way we were hoping it to come together...we had a citizen report it to law enforcement, that something is not right. We found out that there was a fairly broad network of consumers, who were engaged in the trafficking of this young lady."

The trafficker was convicted and sentenced to over 100 years in state prison. Several of the customers of the operation were also convicted.

"A human trafficking victim takes a lot of time to get them back to a state of mind where they basically understand the importance of their own human dignity. It's not a six-month program. Those are some of the next steps that we need to continue to develop."

Nebraska State Patrol Superintendent Colonel John Bolduc says investigation, prosecution, training and teamwork are all a part of bringing such cases to resolution. Nebraska has a Human Trafficking Task Force. Bolduc credited one of the independent efforts, called Truckers Against Trafficking.

"They share information about spotting the signs of human trafficking, with truck drivers and others who work in that industry....and that's across the country. In many cases, the first indicator in human trafficking cases comes from someone who's been made aware of the signs...and tips off law enforcement, to what they have observed."

There is a human trafficking hotline, for reports of suspected wrongdoing…..that number is 1-888-373-7888…..or persons can call local law enforcement if they suspect trafficking is occurring.