PEORIA, Ill. — Illinois is ranked 10th in the nation in regards to human trafficking numbers.
Carol Merna, with the Center for Prevention of Abuse in Peoria, says they see victims of all ages, but a majority of them are youth.
“They’re young people caught up, being in vulnerable positions, and being frauded, or coerced or forced into the commercial sex trade or forced labor,” Merna says.
Of the victims the Center has assisted to date, the youngest was 8-years-old and the oldest was 62.
The Center for Prevention of Abuse is the lead victim-service agency in the Central Illinois Human Trafficking Task Force.
Merna says 90% of the victims they see are from Central Illinois. But, they provide services to more than 46 counties.
“We are able to safety plan with them, we’re able to provide a really good, comprehensive education on what being abused looks like, because a lot of people don’t realize that they are, and we’re able to give them a safe place to stay,” Merna says.
Merna says 1 in 4 human trafficking victims are children, many of them trafficked by their own family members.
“It could be a parent, an aunt, someone they know,” Merna says.
If you believe someone is a victim of human trafficking, you can call the Center for Prevention of Abuse’s 24-hour hotline at 800-559-SAFE (7233), or click HERE for more information.
