SC Attorney General releases annual report on human trafficking – WYFF

COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson, chair of the South Carolina Human Trafficking Task Force, released the 2022 annual report at the State House Monday morning.

Task Force leadership joined him for the release, including local, state and federal law enforcement.

The annual report shares data that details the magnitude of human trafficking in South Carolina.

Geographically, human trafficking cases were reported the most in Greenville, Charleston, Richland, Horry and Spartanburg counties, with Greenville making its way back to the top.

“This is a metric of awareness in that community or county, not a metric of activity. That's just where the most people are recognizing it and calling it in. So this can be a positive statistic,” Wilson said.

The data also shows there was a 450% increase in labor trafficking victims, with a 44% increase in victims who identified as Latinx. Overall, there was a 128% increase in the use of the National Human Trafficking Hotline.

Wilson talked about how victims are recruited.

“The top five methods of recruitment: job offer or ad, false promise or fraud, intimate partner or marriage proposition, familial or posing as a benefactor. Which undercuts this view that victims are kidnapped. There's usually a relationship between the trafficking victim and the trafficker,” Wilson said.

“Today marks the end of the 10-year anniversary of the South Carolina Human Trafficking Task Force. I'm incredibly proud of the work done by the Task Force,” said Wilson. “Its efforts to educate and equip people in how to combat human trafficking are making South Carolina a safer place to live. The work is not finished, but our defenses against this horrendous crime are getting stronger every day, and we're committed to the fight.”

Efforts to train multiple professional sectors continued throughout 2022. The emphasis was primarily focused on law enforcement, lawyers and victim service providers. These efforts focused on the ability to identify a victim of human trafficking, thoroughly investigate cases and provide trauma-informed, victim-centered care to survivors. Increasing awareness and education regarding labor trafficking continue to be a priority for the Task Force.

“Members of the State Task Force continue to bring awareness of human trafficking in communities across our state,” Kathryn Moorehead, director of the Task Force, said. “In 2023, we will be rolling out new initiatives, including increased labor trafficking awareness campaigns.”

Joining Attorney General Alan Wilson and Task Force leadership today were First Lady of South Carolina Peggy McMaster, South Carolina Law Enforcement Division Chief Mark Keel, regional task force members, nonprofit leaders and other anti-human trafficking advocates.

You can view the annual report here.

To report an incident or seek victim services, call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 888-373-7888. The Hotline is confidential and open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.