Virginia human trafficking case uptick could be due to better reporting

The number of identified human trafficking cases last year in Virginia was its highest since 2018, although officials believe this could be attributed to better identification and reporting channels.

Two hundred and twenty-eight cases of human trafficking were identified in the state in 2024, according to data released by the National Human Trafficking Hotline. That number was 199 in 2018.

The National Human Trafficking Hotline received 661 signals, or tips, for the state last year. Human trafficking victims submitted 112. That is a nearly 29% jump from the prior year, which saw 513 tips.

Dr. Fidelma Rigby, a professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at VCU Health, hopes the higher number of identified human trafficking cases is due to an increase in community awareness of the signs of human trafficking.

Rigby teaches an elective at Virginia Commonwealth University that gives medical students tools to identify signs of human trafficking in their patients.

More resources for young runaways, those with mental health struggles and the LGBTQ+ community could help potential trafficking victims avoid being targeted, according to Rigby. The low self esteem of many victims contributes to their vulnerability to being groomed by human traffickers.

People who escaped trafficking require a different set of resources to help them recover from their ordeal, Rigby said. Victims have a lack of safe spaces to recuperate in.

“The trouble is that you need a lot more time when you're taking someone out of a trafficking situation to give them a place to recover,” Rigby said. “So it usually takes at least a year, once they come out of that trafficking situation, to be able to safely release them into the community.”

The Virginia State Police received 1,209 trafficking tips as of Sept. 12, according to an agency release.

That number is trending slightly higher than last year, according to Robin Lawson, a Virginia State Police spokesperson.

The Virginia State Police campaign to raise awareness of human trafficking may have contributed to the uptick in reports, Lawson said. Citizens should call the Virginia State Police human trafficking tip line if they see something suspicious, and Lawson noted the tip line also takes calls from trafficking victims.

“The greatest weapon we have in this is … raising awareness and breaking down misconceptions and making sure that people aren't afraid to report a concern,” Lawson said. “Or even with victims, so that they feel comfortable in being able to reach out to someone and get information or express their concern about their particular situation.”

Changes in behavior and indicators of physical abuse or malnourishment are signs someone may be being trafficked. College students are vulnerable to exploitation by traffickers because of financial strain and lack of their usual support system. Trafficking takes a variety of forms that are not always obvious, such as labor trafficking, according to Lawson.

“The exploitation is done through not just force,” Lawson said. “It can be through intimidation and deception. So it’s a difficult crime to identify in many cases.”

Patrick McKenna, a lawyer and cofounder of Virginia Coalition Against Human Trafficking, said the group pushes for reforms and legislation to reduce the legal barriers faced by trafficking survivors.

“The last 20 years is attempting to get the legislature and the governor, whoever, to come to the table to create legislation that would help facilitate not only the freeing of survivors and removal of barriers, but also bring to bear the resources of the justice system against those who are doing the victimization,” McKenna said.

Many human trafficking victims are forced to commit crimes because they are under duress, such as experiencing a substance use disorder, according to McKenna. This opens them up to legal charges and incarceration in a criminal justice system that does not always recognize the signs of human trafficking, according to McKenna.

“While I was still executive director, we were given the opportunity to go into local jail facilities here in the Hampton Roads area,” McKenna said. “As a result, we were identifying many women who are sitting in jail who have been trafficked.”

The Virginia Coalition Against Human Trafficking works to clear the criminal records of victims who have been criminalized as a result of human trafficking.

The coalition successfully advocated for a bill that dropped charges, such as felony drug possession, from a victim’s record. It hopes to broaden the list of eligible charges to include all nonviolent felonies, but has faced pushback from some law enforcement and prosecutors.

There is concern such a law would allow for a torrent of false claims, McKenna said.

The coalition is addressing such concerns by deconstructing misconceptions about human trafficking.

“It's kind of like reflipping, reorganizing, re-educating, and getting people to see the old way does not work,” McKenna said. “It's ineffective and [it] takes too much time and resources and at the end of the day survivors stay stuck, you don't get the prosecution, and where are we?”

Everyone can play a part in fighting human trafficking and the most seemingly insignificant actions can create positive change, according to McKenna.

“Don't minimize the impact you can have by doing even just one thing,” McKenna said.

To report a victim of human trafficking, contact the Virginia State Police at 804-847-411 and type VSP. The National Human Trafficking Hotline can be reached by phone at 1-888-373-7888 and by text at 233733.