In early January, a federal grand jury indicted six people involved in a human trafficking and drug trafficking operation, bringing the case to court.

Allegedly, six people from Eastern and Southern Kentucky conspired to traffic a person, and force them to engage in commercial sex acts. According to the accusations, this occurred over the course of four years, from September 2015 to October 2019. 

In addition to human trafficking, the group was also in possession of a heroin-containing substance and pills that contained oxycodone and oxymorphone. One of the six individuals was accused of possessing a firearm as part of drug trafficking.

Another of the six faced a firearm possession charge in October 2019, in a different Kentucky county — he also faced a different charge, for allegedly being a felon possessing a firearm.

The federal government has requested that extensive items be forfeited because of their alleged connection with the drug and human trafficking. These items include one $46,000 in cash, another $53,000 held in accounts, fourteen firearms and ammunition. The federal government has also requested that property in London and Kentucky be forfeited allegedly in connection with the crimes.

According to WKYT, the crimes allegedly occurred in the Kentucky counties of Whitley, Knox, Lauren, Rockcastle, Madison, and Fayette.

If charged, the six face a maximum punishment of life imprisonment.

The National Human Trafficking Hotline claims to have the one of the most comprehensive statistics on human trafficking that occurs in the United States.

The organization gathers data from information gained from the hotline, and has recorded 10,949 reported cases of human trafficking in 2018. However, many cases may be just a fraction of the total cases of human trafficking that occur each year, as many cases go unreported.

The Department of Homeland Security defines human trafficking as the use of force, fraud, or coercion to obtain a kind of labor or commercial sex act. Many people equate sex trafficking with human trafficking. Sex trafficking is one form of human trafficking, but it is only one kind of human trafficking.

However, the Department of Homeland Security explains that if a person under the age of 18 is “induced to perform commercial sex acts,” federal law qualifies that person a victim of human trafficking, even if the person was not forced or coerced.

In many cases, human traffickers target individuals who are particularly vulnerable or unable to seek help. In some cases, human traffickers may exploit language barriers, fear of law enforcement, or fear of the traffickers themselves to prevent their victims from seeking help.

The Department of Homeland Security explains that other vulnerabilities commonly exploited by sex traffickers are economic hardship, isolated individuals who lack the support of social connections, and people affected by natural disasters or political instability.

Though human traffickers often exploit people who are more vulnerable or less able to seek help than most people, human trafficking victims can be a part of any demographic group.

According to the Department of Homeland Security, human trafficking occurs both in the U.S. and in countries around the world. Some hotel chains have been sued for being complicit in sex trafficking.

If you were a victim of sex trafficking and forced to work at a truck stop, hotel or motel, night club or other hotel venue, you may be eligible to move forward with a civil investigation against these businesses. This investigation involves a civil case, and is not a criminal case against you or your loved ones.

Top Class Actions is working with experienced human trafficking attorneys who will be informed and sensitive to your situation. Join the fight by filling out the short form on this page. 

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