The Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) is releasing a five-part webinar series on human trafficking. A press release issued recently by the OVC stated that the webinar will detail the connection between sexual assault, domestic violence, and human trafficking. Likewise, it will examine the need for culturally specific resources for survivors and collaboration between…

The Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) has concluded plans to release a nine-part documentary series about human trafficking in January 2016. The documentary, entitled “The Faces of Human Trafficking,” features survivors of human trafficking to teach law enforcement, prosecutors, service providers, and the community about the crime. Among the survivors featured in the documentary…

A Senate bill set to provide safe harbor to underage victims of human trafficking has passed despite debate over an abortion provision, according to reports.  The bill was sponsored by Senator John Cornyn, a Republican from Texas. The Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act will start a fund for victims paid for by fines from…

The terror group Boko Haram has displaced nearly one million Nigerians as a result of its attacks and many of those affected are children from local communities in the northern part of the country.. Refugee camps are rapidly filling, leaving many displaced to seek refuge in unofficial camps. According to CNN, it is very easy…

Law enforcement officials from the Dominican Republic and United States have rescued 29 female sex trafficking victims in Sosua, Dominican Republic. A press release Issued recently by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security stated that 20 of the 29 victims were minors between the age of 14 and 17. Additionally, seven Dominicans were arrested for…

A new federal grant program will offer over $1.4 million to create housing programs for low income women living with HIV or AIDS, who are also victims of domestic abuse, sexual assault, dating violence, or stalking. The US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced the program in a March 11 press release. The…

New licensing regulations are helping cities in the Metro fight sex trafficking in massage parlors. Minneapolis passed a regulation that resulted in the closing of 12 unlicensed businesses, The Star Tribune reports. Three of those parlors were cited for illegal activity. Saint Paul, Woodbury, and Apple Valley have passed similar regulations. City officials in Eden…

An alleged child sex predator was arrested recently in Raleigh, North Carolina with the help of a public tip and social media users, according to a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) press release. William Akers is accused of possessing child pornography, as well as abusing an eight year old girl on video. ICE used…

A bill based on Minnesota’s Safe Harbor law was approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee on February 26. It’s is sponsored by Senator Amy Klobuchar from Minnesota, and it includes provisions to fully back the National Human Trafficking Resource Center hotline.   The Stop Exploitation Through Trafficking (SETT) Act of 2015, or S. 166, would…

The perpetrators of human trafficking are equal opportunity exploiters; they will enslave anyone who is vulnerable. In the State Department’s 2014 Trafficking in Persons report, the state recognized the vulnerability of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LBGTQ) people to human trafficking. It found discrimination and cultural expectations have made it difficult to identify and…