10/31/2025
OHIO #6 IN HUMAN TRAFFICKING
First, we apologize to those of you who were unable to log into our presentation on human trafficking Monday evening. We had technical difficulties with ZOOM and could not resolve them prior to the meeting. The presentation from one of the co-chairs of the Medina County Anti Trafficking Coalition, yes we have one, was an eye opener and we want to share the highlights of that presentation. Please take this seriously…….
Human traffickers primarily target boys and girls 12 to 14 years old although no age group is entirely safe. White, African American, Asian, Hispanic, it doesn’t matter.
Ohio is number 6 in the country for trafficking activity. Michigan ranks number 5 but Ohio and Michigan alternate depending on the year. Toledo was the number one city, but they took steps to curb trafficking activity. Why Ohio? Our highway systems. Interstates 71, 77,76,75, 80, 90 (all in all there are 21 interstate highways in Ohio) plus the turnpike crisscross our state making it easy to transport children (and drugs) across the country. The states at the top of the list are in order, California, Texas, Florida, and New York. These are based on their proximity to airports, water and the Canadian border. These are mass population states when compared to our Midwest agricultural states.
Trafficking is big business and comes in two forms, s*x and labor. S*x trafficking is a $172 billion/year business and labor trafficking comes in at $548million. Some victims are bought and sold up to 15 times during their captivity and once their usefulness is done their fate is uncertain. The worldwide buyers range in age from 17 to 82 both male and female.
Thousands of kids throughout the country become victims of trafficking every year. How does this happen? Some are abductions, but the vast majority are lured through social media channels and gaming. Predators posing as teens scour the internet to seek out their victims. They can readily detect their targets based on a very sophisticated profiling system and lure them to rendezvous for hook ups, parties, or a better life. Many of these kids are drugged and once they become addicted they are dependent on their captors to support their addiction. Sadly, there are cases of parents selling their children either for drug money or because they simply can’t afford them. In some cases, they simply didn’t want them any longer. Kids are not the only victims as there are numerous cases of adult females being subjected to the same tragic life.
Medina County is not exempt. While we can’t give the exact number of cases in Medina, they exist and any is too many. Lodi, Brunswick, Wadsworth and many rural areas are not exempt from predators. We are surrounded by Cleveland, Akron, Columbus, all big cities. Cincinnati ranks number 4 on the list.
What can be and is being done? ICAC, Internet Crimes Against Children, is a national organization of law enforcement agencies dedicated to combating online exploitation of children. The Medina County Sheriff’s office is involved with that organization. The Medina County Anti Trafficking Coalition is actively involved in our schools' educating kids on the dangers of who they interact with on social media. That 16-year-old may well be a 38-year-old predator, based on a recent case. As parents, grandparents and guardians, we must be aware of who/what are children are interacting with on social media. Don’t be afraid to look over their shoulder or check their phones. The threat is real, so, please be on guard!
