The Junior League of Tampa partnered with Stetson University College of Law and hosted a Human Trafficking breakfast forum downtown Tampa Wednesday morning.
Florida ranks third in the nation among states with the highest human trafficking activity, with Tampa itself serving as a major hub for this criminal enterprise.
The event was free and open to the public at Stetson’s Tampa Law Center and the mission is to raise community awareness of this underground industry, where the average age of child sex-trafficking victims is just 12 years old.
“Shattering the Stigma: Human Trafficking Breakfast Forum” featured a panel of some of the most prominent figures in Florida’s efforts to combat human trafficking crimes, as well as former victims of trafficking.
The event is aimed at engaging more of our community in a conversation about how to combat this terrible crime.
Florida Trafficking Facts:
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Florida ranks behind just California and Texas in most human trafficking reported
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Tampa tops the list of Florida cities in human trafficking activity
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U.S. citizen minors exploited in prostitution and in Florida’s adult entertainment industry constitute other sizable victim population
Human trafficking is a key advocacy area for The Junior League of Tampa, which is part of the Junior Leagues of Florida State Public Affairs Committee (SPAC). During Florida’s 2012 legislative session,JLT’s and SPAC’s advocacy was crucial to passing Bills HB 0099 and HB 7049, which made statute changes to definitions, increased the penalty for human trafficking, and augmented enforcement of existing human trafficking laws. JLT’s advocacy efforts to combat human trafficking continue this legislative
session with several new bills that have been proposed.