A recent report from the Orange County Human Trafficking Task Force reveals that children have become the fastest-growing group of human trafficking victims in Orange County, California. The report, released today, shows that over the past three years, half of all local trafficking victims are under 18, with the youngest victim being just six years old. The average age of these minors is 14, indicating a significant portion are 13 or younger.
The Task Force’s eighth report, based on data from 2023 and 2024, highlights a troubling trend of increasingly younger victims being targeted by traffickers. This is a shift from a similar study two years ago, which found that children made up 36% of victims. Experts believe traffickers target younger victims due to higher profits, paralleling the profitability of the drug trade.
Michelle Heater, director of victim assistance services for Waymakers, an Irvine-based nonprofit, emphasized the role of unsupervised internet use and economic hardships in this trend. Heater noted that traffickers exploit the lack of support and connection felt by many young people, making them more vulnerable.
The report identifies that 88% of trafficking victims who sought help were forced into the sex trade, with 83% being from the United States. Within the group of victimized minors, 76% were from Orange County. These findings align with national data, which shows sex trafficking as a domestic issue, often involving victims being moved across a multi-state circuit on the West Coast.
Despite the alarming data, the report only reflects a small portion of the actual problem, as many victims remain undetected. The study underscores the need for continued vigilance and support for victims, as well as efforts to prevent trafficking through community awareness and stronger support systems for vulnerable youth.