Human trafficking crisis: North Carolina ranks ninth in the nation, Raleigh holds awareness event

WRAL anchor/reporter Julian Grace was emcee of Thursday's Human Trafficking Awareness Conference in Raleigh and brought his three young sons, Justice, Jacob and Garrison.

"Because I wanted them to see and know that there are some unprincipled men and women in this world, but there are also those on the frontlines that are fighting this," Grace said.

Participants learned about how substance use, mental health struggles and domestic violence contribute to exploitation.

Wilmington-based Safe Place executive director Dawn Ferrer said, in most cases, people aren’t forced into that lifestyle.

"They are groomed, manipulated by the trafficker who gains their trust and gets them to agree to do things that they otherwise wouldn’t do," Ferrer said.

Ferrer said North Carolina is vulnerable to the growth of trafficking.

"Because of our highway system, the tourist industry, military bases," Ferrer said. "We all know there are more clubs in those areas where there’s trafficking and exploitation and higher levels of prostitution are."

National trafficking hot-line statistics from 2021 point to the ease of recruitment with 65% of trafficking and exploitation taking place online. It’s also the most common method for the grooming of boys today in the U.S. through online video gaming.

"The rule of thumb is any game, app or website where you can interact with someone anonymously, there will be a predator," Ferrer said. "There is no doubt, there will be a predator."

The effort to help rescue victims of trafficking has the support of U.S. Attorney Michael Easley, Jr.

"Our success has to also turn on the number of victims that we rescue and how we can get those victims stabilized to turn them from victims into survivors," Easley said.

Ferrer says it’s important for survivors of trafficking to share their stories of exploitation so that law enforcement and prosecutors can convict those who exploited them.