‘At-Risk’ assessments being used to prevent human trafficking

Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine has worked to raise awareness for human trafficking in the state and has provided information to local law enforcement and communities to help identify those who are potential human trafficking victims.

“I’m happy to say that we are one of the first departments in the state to have a successful prosecution of a human trafficking crime,” said Elyria police Capt. Costantino. “A lot of people don’t realize that the suspect was found guilty at the federal level. That should show people the severity of this terrible crime.”

Costantino was referring to the Jeremy Mack case where he recruited women to be prostitutes and was convicted of sex trafficking by a federal jury in 2014.

“He was using women who were drug addicts and taking advantage of that weakness,” Costantino said. “The women would rely on Mack to provide heroin to feed their addiction, and he made them pay off that debt by forcing them into prostitution.”

Costantino said the Mack case provides a perfect example of how someone can take advantage of at risk individuals that DeWine has focused on.

“The women were dependent on those drugs and were willing to do what this man asked to meet that need,” he said. “They certainly fit the profile of people that would be at risk for human trafficking.

“People that are runaways also could be seen as potential victims. This is focusing more on juveniles who leave their parents and could be susceptible that way.

“They are out on their own and are vulnerable. Traffickers see this and take advantage of these kids.”

Costantino said human trafficking is more difficult to prevent today with social media.

“Social media has added a whole other layer to the problem,” he said. “Kids use social media to interact with people in other towns, states and even countries.

“It is something that is very difficult to monitor because kids are unaware of the risk they are putting themselves in. These people sound very welcoming and supportive, but they will ruin these kids lives.”

Costantino said the best way to prevent human trafficking is information.

“People need to spread the word and raise awareness,” he said. “This is something that can happen in our community and people need to be prepared.

“Parents need to be more engaged on social media and get a better understanding of whom their child is interacting with on a daily basis. In today’s age, parents can’t view their child is safe because they are home; they could be talking to anyone.”

Rebecca Opel, sexual assault service coordinator at The Nord Center in Lorain, said the agency works to prevent human trafficking through risk assessment.

“We try to gauge whether someone is susceptible to trafficking by looking at their past behaviors,” Opel said. “We look to see if the person has been sexually abused, if they have a history of being a runaway, drug issues, psychological issues, and if they’ve had multiple sexual partners.

“We also look at safety at their work and if they’ve met someone online. If an individual says yes to a few of these indicators, then they are at risk.”

Opel said the biggest misconception about human trafficking is assuming it only happens to a certain type of person.

“People from all walks of life are abducted,” she said. “You could go to the mall, a fake photo shoot, a college campus, and a multitude of other locations.

“People should not put their guard down and think they are not potentially at risk.”

Opel said Lorain County as a whole is needed to prevent human trafficking.

“The information for potential victims has been sent to enforcement, health professionals and schools,” she said. “It will take a community to prevent this crime and people throughout the county have a role to play.”

Opel said the Human Trafficking Collaborative of Lorain County’s next meeting is noon, March 13, in the IL building at Lorain County Community College, 1005 N. Abbe Road in Elyria.