Efforts

January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month and today, Attorney General Pam Bondi announced efforts to spread awareness of the modern-day form of slavery and call Floridians and travelers to action. In an effort to encourage people to learn how to identify the signs of human trafficking, Attorney General Bondi is launching a new website, YouCanStopHT.com. Starting this month, digital signs will be displayed throughout the Tampa International Airport encouraging travelers to visit the Attorney General’s new site for tools to spot human trafficking and report suspicious activity.
“Many people will be traveling to Florida this weekend, especially to the Tampa Bay area. Having a high volume of visitors can attract traffickers and that is why I am calling on you to know the signs,” said Attorney General Bondi. “Thousands pass through the Tampa International Airport every day, and ensuring these travelers know how to identify a human trafficking victim and how to report the crime could save a life and free someone from abuse.”
Human trafficking is a form of slavery that encompasses both commercial sex trafficking and labor trafficking. According to the International Labor Organization, there are more than 20 million victims of human trafficking worldwide and the global human trafficking market is a $150 billion-a-year industry.
To continue efforts to inform the public on the global issue of human trafficking, Attorney General Bondi will be reaching out on twitter throughout the month with tips and more on how You Can Stop HT. Follow @AGPamBondi on Twitter and take an active role in the fight against human trafficking by visiting YouCanStopHT.com.
Victims of human trafficking include children, women and men who are subjected to sexual exploitation or labor through force, fraud or coercion. Attorney General Bondi is dedicated to making Florida a zero-tolerance state for human trafficking. In 2012, Attorney General Bondi worked with the legislature to strengthen Florida’s existing laws against human trafficking and curtail the industry. It is now easier for all prosecutors in the state to pursue human trafficking cases. The legislation also gave the Attorney General’s Office of Statewide Prosecution jurisdiction over multi-judicial circuit human trafficking cases allowing the office to pursue some of the largest human trafficking cases in state court history.