Human Trafficking
Does it happen in the Wiregrass?
Unfortunately, YES, it does!
Actually, the first case involving state human trafficking charges happened right here in Dothan, Alabama.. The case involved a 28 year-old man abducting a 17 year old girl from Mississippi after which he used internet websites to exploit and prostitute her against her will across three different states. The victim testified she was among several other girls being held against their will, beaten, and forced to use drugs all while being sold for sex. In 2013, the victim escaped captivity from a local hotel after walking 8 miles to another local business where a patron gave her safe harbor and called the police. Her captor was arrested and subsequently convicted of first-degree human trafficking and felony distribution of drugs to a minor.
What does it look like?
One of the greatest misunderstandings about human trafficking is that it fits a single simple model. The truth, though, is that trafficking can take many forms, all rooted in the lack of freedom and choice for those being trafficked. It can be a woman caught in a cycle of coercion and protitution, or a child kidnapped and sold. At its core, human trafficking is the exploitation of the vulnerable.
