COLUMBUS, Ohio - A crime often hidden the shadows is coming to light Thursday. Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost is hosting the inaugural Human Trafficking Summit called 'Hope in Action' which will focus on ending the crime in Ohio.
Statistics show Ohio ranks 4th in the nation when it comes to human trafficking cases. According to Yost, Ohio is a hub for human traffickers because of it's proximity to other major metropolitan cities. It is only about 600 miles from 60% of the U.S. population. Other factors include our large agricultural industry where labor trafficking can be common.
Thursday's summit at the Greater Columbus Convention Center now has a waiting list. It will feature educational sessions, success stories, lessons learned and best practices, all designed to end human trafficking in Ohio.
Ohio statistics from the National Human Trafficking hotline are available here.
If you, or someone you know is experiencing human trafficking, you can get help by calling the human trafficking hotline which is 1 (888) 373-7888.