Virginia

The Virginia Company founded the first permanent English colony at Jamestown in 1607. One of the original 13 states (it entered the Union in 1788), Virginia was named for Elizabeth I, the Virgin Queen of England. Virginia holds an important place in American history, as it was home to many of the founding fathers, including George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, George Mason, and Patrick Henry. Four of America’s first five presidents were Virginians. During the Civil War, Richmond, Virginia’s capital, was the capital of the Confederacy. Today, Virginia is a popular tourist spot where people can visit historic places such as Alexandria, Williamsburg, and Mount Vernon, George Washington’s estate. Dogwood is the state flower and the cardinal is the state bird of the “Old Dominion.”

Human trafficking is a serious issue that affects people all around the world, including in Virginia. It is a form of modern slavery in which individuals are exploited for labor, sexual exploitation, or other purposes.

According to data from the National Human Trafficking Hotline, Virginia has consistently ranked among the top states in the United States for the number of human trafficking cases reported. In 2020, the state ranked tenth in the country for the number of cases reported to the hotline, with a total of 103 cases.

Human trafficking can take many forms in Virginia, including forced labor, domestic servitude, and sexual exploitation. It often affects vulnerable populations, such as immigrants, children, and people who are homeless or in poverty.

If you suspect that someone you know may be a victim of human trafficking, there are steps you can take to help. You can report the situation to the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888 or by text at 233733. You can also contact local law enforcement or a trusted organization that provides services to victims of human trafficking. It is important to remember that the safety of the victim should be the top priority and to handle the situation with care and sensitivity.

 

 

Not even wild dogs could keep these cyclists from their cross-country goal: Raising awareness for human trafficking
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Not even wild dogs could keep these cyclists from their cross-country goal: Raising awareness for human trafficking

YORKTOWN — The six bicyclists who pulled into Yorktown on Tuesday after a 3,775-mile cross-country journey specifically wanted to do something uncomfortable. They were riding for an uncomfortable cause, after all: the worldwide fight against human trafficking. And during 53 days on the road, they endured painful crashes, flat tires, aching body parts, dehydration, blistering…

City elders host human trafficking education event in Harrisonburg
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City elders host human trafficking education event in Harrisonburg

HARRISONBURG, Va. (WHSV) – On Wednesday at First Presbyterian Church in Harrisonburg, City Elders of Rockingham and Harrisonburg held an educational event on human trafficking. The event titled Make it Stop aimed to teach people more about human trafficking and how they can help combat it. Tanya Gould was the event’s keynote speaker, she is…

State And Local Leaders Discuss Human Trafficking
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State And Local Leaders Discuss Human Trafficking

  State and local leaders, including Director of Anti-Human Trafficking for the Virginia Attorney General’s Office Tanya Gould, discussed human trafficking at a forum held at First Presbyterian Church Wednesday afternoon. Gould, alongside Del. Tony Wilt (R) and Commonwealth’s Attorney Marsha Garst, discussed human trafficking in the area and in the U.S. and talked about…

FBI’s 3-Month Operation Seizes $1.7M in Crypto Currencies
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FBI’s 3-Month Operation Seizes $1.7M in Crypto Currencies

A prominent US law enforcement agency, the FBI, has successfully seized nearly $1.7 million worth of cryptocurrencies during a comprehensive three-month operation from March to May, aimed at curbing unlawful activities. The confiscated digital assets comprise a variety of cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, Ether, Tether, Monero, and Dai. These funds were traced back to different sources…

Laundry company owners guilty of trafficking migrants, minors for labor
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Laundry company owners guilty of trafficking migrants, minors for labor

The manager of a laundry business in Virginia was accused of pulling a 13-year-old girl’s hair while ordering her back to work. Other teenagers told investigators they were forced to toil through grueling 11-hour overnight shifts before school. And a new mother was grabbed by the arm and shaken when she asked for help taking…

A closer look at Virginia’s new protections for human trafficking victims
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A closer look at Virginia’s new protections for human trafficking victims

NORFOLK, Va. — Olivia, a human trafficking survivor now living in Hampton Roads, said she was trafficked at 18-years-old. “I first started getting trafficked when I was living on a park bench, said Olivia. “I was 18 years old. I probably could have went home, my mom probably would have took me back, but I…

Concerns at the border: How human trafficking is impacting Southwest, Central Virginia
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Concerns at the border: How human trafficking is impacting Southwest, Central Virginia

ROANOKE, Va. – While troops from Virginia’s National Guard are in Texas to aid in securing the United States’ border, 10 News is looking at concerns brought on by the border crisis, like human trafficking. Human trafficking is a problem no place and no one is immune to. Organizations like Project Horizon in Lexington and…

Virginia hotel staff must take human trafficking awareness training
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Virginia hotel staff must take human trafficking awareness training

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — Hotel workers across Virginia are now required to take a training course to spot human trafficking, after a new law went into effect on July 1. The Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services created the free online course, and now every two years all hotel staff will have to be…

‘New Slave Trade’ Has Arrived in US at Hands of Mexican Cartels
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‘New Slave Trade’ Has Arrived in US at Hands of Mexican Cartels

Jaeson Jones held up a handful of colored wristbands during a House Homeland Security Committee hearing on Wednesday. “What I’m holding in my hand before you today, I want to be very clear, this is America’s new slave trade,” Jones, a former captain for intelligence and counterterrorism at the Texas Department of Public Safety, testified before…

A trafficking hotline could be forced to report to police. Victims may stop calling, advocates say.
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A trafficking hotline could be forced to report to police. Victims may stop calling, advocates say.

The first few times she made the call, Aubree Alles hung up without saying a word. She learned the number for the National Human Trafficking Hotline sometime in the decade she calls “hell” — the years she was sold for sex by a woman who had promised her friendship and a place to stay. From…