As thousands of people arrive in the region for this week's start of the 2015 Masters Golf Tournament, Attorney General Alan Wilson is urging South Carolinians to be on the lookout for signs of human trafficking.
Wilson said in a press release that crimes such as human trafficking often increase during major sporting events, such as the Super Bowl, Final Four and the Masters.
"Unfortunately, human trafficking is one of the fastest growing crimes in the United States. Studies show its activity spikes when there are major sporting events like the Super Bowl, Final Four and the Masters," Wilson said. "This is why we are urging South Carolinians to be vigilant and on alert, just as Georgia Attorney General Sam Olens is doing with our neighbors."
Gov. Nikki Haley recently signed into law legislation that authorizes the State grand jury to investigate human trafficking cases.
"Human trafficking is a multi-billion dollar criminal industry that affects every state in the nation, every day of the year, not just during Masters Week," Wilson said. "Thanks to important steps forward, such as the recent Human Trafficking State grand jury bill, prosecutors and local law enforcement have a new weapon to fight modern-day slavery in our own backyard."
The National Human Trafficking Resource Center has published a list of red flags below that may be "an indication that further assessment may be necessary to identify a potential human trafficking situation." This is not an exhaustive list and victims might exhibit some and not all of the warning signs.
National Human Trafficking Resource Center warning signs include:
Common work and living conditions
- Is not free to leave or come and go as he/she wishes
- Is in the commercial sex industry and has a pimp/manager
- Is unpaid, paid very little or paid only through tips
- Works excessively long and/or unusual hours
- Is not allowed breaks or suffers under unusual restrictions at work
- Owes a large debt and is unable to pay it off
- Was recruited through false promises concerning the nature and conditions of his/her work
- High security measures exist in the work and/or living locations (e.g. opaque windows, boarded up windows, bars on windows, barbed wire, security cameras, etc.)
Poor mental health or abnormal behavior
- Is fearful, anxious, depressed, submissive, tense or nervous/paranoid
- Exhibits unusually fearful or anxious behavior after bringing up law enforcement
- Avoids eye contact
Poor Physical Health
- Lacks medical care and/or is denied medical services by employer
- Appears malnourished or shows signs of repeated exposure to harmful chemicals
- Shows signs of physical and/or sexual abuse, physical restraint, confinement or torture
Lack of Control
- Has few or no personal possessions
- Is not in control of his/her own money, no financial records or bank account
- Is not in control of his/her own identification documents (ID or passport)
- Is not allowed or able to speak for themselves (a third party may insist on being present and/or translating)
Other
- Claims of just visiting and inability to clarify where he/she is staying/address
- Lack of knowledge of whereabouts and/or of what city he/she is in
- Loss of sense of time
- Has numerous inconsistencies in his/her story
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