By Chad H. Lennon
Human trafficking involves the use of force, fraud, or coercion to obtain some type of labor or commercial sex act; it is modern-day slavery.
We think of recent outrages resulting in the jailing of Jeffrey Epstein and the FBI raid of Sean “Diddy” Combs’ home as a faraway problem, but human trafficking has been, and continues to be, a persistent scourge in our community. In fact, some people are not aware that human trafficking is a national — and even global — problem. The issue is ongoing, however, and continues to be so here in Suffolk County. Sex trafficking has been a problem in New York for years, and the opioid epidemic has only exacerbated the situation. Furthermore, social media has become a breeding ground for traffickers to recruit victims.
Anyone can be at risk of human trafficking, but certain demographics are considered more at-risk than others. Drug users, those with mental health conditions, those involved with the welfare system, and those who have recently moved to a new location seem to be most at risk. Sadly, children are also more susceptible to becoming victims of human trafficking.
Human trafficking is so prevalent in our community that we had a Human Trafficking Court in our criminal justice system. Many times, the women had an “uncle” who was in court; some women even had the same “uncle”! The most at-risk demographic in the adult population is Suffolk County women. The traffickers are mostly drug dealers who realized that you can only sell a drug once, but you can sell a person over and over again.
Some women fall victim to their “boyfriend” who will turn them into a trafficking victim. Those looking for love could be speaking with a charismatic man who is seeking to sell the woman’s body. A woman could be out for a weekend and be a casual drug user, not an addict. However, the woman is coerced into the sex trade after a weekend of partying. The drug dealer or “boyfriend” suddenly informs the woman there is a debt and she could be locked away in a room in a hotel or a house. Some recent local cases of sex trafficking include a man trafficking a woman in his home, a Sound Beach man running a trafficking ring out of his parents’ basement, and a Bloods gang member who had been trafficking women in the county for years.
Recent changes in the criminal justice system such as “Raise the Age” have separated the victims into those who are 18 and older, adults, and those under 18, children. With “Raise the Age,” those under 18 who are charged with a criminal offense are sent to Family Court. Children who are potentially victims of human trafficking are sent to Erin’s Court — Human Trafficking Court. Erin’s Court is meant to bring assistance to children who are being trafficked and pull them out of the circumstances that have led them to be sexually trafficked.
It is important to understand this issue persists in our neighborhoods, regardless of demographics. Women and children remain at risk of being trafficked. That’s why educating our community about the issue, staying vigilant and aware of the signs of an individual who may be trafficked, and knowing the resources available, will help us all put an end to this atrocious crime and its tragic consequences.
Chad Lennon (C-Rocky Point) represents Suffolk County’s 6th Legislative District.