Law enforcers, legislators and women’s groups in Tennessee want stiffer measures to fight sex trafficking. Hundreds of people are believed to be at risk in the state, but many police don’t feel trained to recognize it.
The state’s hotline for combating sex trafficking is 1-855-558-6484.
The scope of sex trafficking in Tennessee has been hard to pin down, but TBI study two years ago found reports in almost every county. Director Mark Gwyn says anytime a minor has sex for money, they’re a victim, not a prostitute. In the case of adults, the difference is coercion.
Gwyn says victims, often young women, who are coerced and sold for sex, can be mistaken for criminals themselves, and may be afraid to help prosecutors.
“They’re scared. They’ve been basically under someone’s thumb, and someone’s been telling them what to do and abusing them for a long time.”
Lawmakers are calling for tougher penalties, including stripping parental rights in some cases. The TBI’s report says many police don’t feel sufficiently trained to tackle such crimes. Gwyn called it “a problem we intend to rectify.”
Officials are hoping to get more use out a hotline for victims, tips, and police dealing with sex trafficking. It was created more than a year ago, but has so far gotten barely a hundred calls. The number is 1-855-558-6484.
Gwyn said he would eventually like to dedicate a unit specifically to fighting sex trafficking.
“My goal is – and I have actually a fiscal note on one of the pieces of legislation, for I think four agents and an analyst – is to really have a unit that’s going to probably focus on this type of training and these types of crime activities from here on out.”
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