Human trafficking is a serious felony offense that can result in a lifetime in prison for many offenders. According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security human trafficking is akin to modern day slavery and involves victims who are often kidnapped or tricked and transported into the United States to do unpaid labor. Some trafficked individuals are forced to do hard labor, while others are thrown into prostitution. Typically, human trafficking victims are immigrants trying to get into the United States. They are granted passage into the country and then need to perform years of free labor or services in order to repay the favor of their liberator. The ICE is working hard to end human trafficking in the United States, and arrests are made on a regular basis when offenders are discovered. Most of the time, the ICE relies on tips from the public to dismantle the human trafficking organizations which almost always happen in hidden locations or underground.

The ICE says that there are some specific ways that you can identify a victim of human trafficking. These individuals typically don’t have identification or travel documents, and they will not normally specify what position they have regarding employment. If you suspect that a victim is engaged in sexual activity for compensation, or if the victim of an underage worker who is engaged in commercial sex, then this means that the young one is most likely a victim of human trafficking. As well, if the victim owes money to an employer and the employer holds the wages, this can be an indication of human trafficking. You should inquire if an alleged victim has the right to leave his or her employment situation, or determine whether or not there are guards at the place of employment who are making sure that no one escapes. By probing the details of the case, you may discover that you are talking with a human trafficking victim. If you ever discover this sort of situation, then you need to report the crime immediately.

Unfortunately, there are many times that human trafficking can be misconstrued. Maybe you are an innocent employer but an out-of-place or confusing situation has caused you to appear as a human trafficker. Maybe an angry child or worker has decided to accuse you of human trafficking or illegal practices simply to get revenge on you. False accusations out of revenge are common, so if you are misrepresented by another party you will want to make sure that you have a lawyer on your side. Some states have more lenient human trafficking penalties than others. The Bureau of Justice Statistics claims that there were about 2,515 incidents of human trafficking that were investigated by task forces between January 2008 and June 2010. About 8 in every 10 human trafficking cases involve sexual exploitation, and 1 in every 10 cases involves forced hard labor. In one year, the federal law enforcement was able to take care of 144 individuals who were accused of human trafficking.

Once again, because people are often so insistent on the investigation of a potential human trafficking situation, some individuals may be misrepresented. There are times that they may be falsely accused of the serious crime of human trafficking when they were never affiliated with this type of organization. When you are misrepresented in this way, it is very important that you contact a lawyer and get the representation that you need to handle your case. With the right attorney on your side, you will be equipped to head to court and tackle your case with confidence. Hire a local attorney right away if you want more information!