SIOUX FALLS, SD, (KELO.com)– Human trafficking is the second-largest crime in the world behind drug dealing.
South Dakota is no exception. According to a study by the National Human Trafficking hotline, every county in the United States has had a report of human trafficking.
Call to Freedom is an organization that helps victims of sex trafficking get out of those situations.
Executive Director Becky Rasmussen says CTF mainly offers case management to get victims out of trafficking situations.
“If they’ve come out of trafficking situations a lot of them are still very vulnerable…we work to keep them out of those vulnerable situations…so that could be counseling, addiction services, mental health, housing…”
Rasmussen says they have a housing program called “Marissa’s Housing Project.” It’s an eight-unit apartment complex used to house some of these women taken out of situations. The women would live in this complex from six months to two years with their basic needs met.
She says that anyone could be a human trafficker, man or woman.
The average age of a trafficking victim is usually 12 to 14 years old.
Rasmussen says that the community is key to catching traffickers. She says people should look for warning signs of a controlled situation like lack of eye contact.
Rasmussen says, “I always say to people, ‘your gut is pretty right on.’ If you look at a situation and you feel like gosh somethings not right, don’t intervene, don’t get involved, but do report it.”
(Todd Epp, KELO.com News, contributed to this report.)
