Three counties in southeastern Pennsylvania were among the top five highest percentages in the state for human-trafficking charges filed from 2020 to 2024.
Berks County had about 12% of the total retail human-trafficking charges filed during that period, according to data released by the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts.
Over the past five years, 1,432 human-trafficking offenses were filed on 431 cases in Pennsylvania. (Courtesy of Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts)
Delaware County had about 10% of the state total during that time, and Chester County had about 7%.
Court officials said 1,432 human-trafficking offenses were filed in 431 cases statewide.
Human trafficking is a type of human rights abuse where people profit from the exploitation of others – mainly using force, fraud or coercion to manipulate victims into engaging in sex acts or labor/services in exchange for something of value, officials said.
The top counties in the state:
• Franklin: 208 charges; 14.53% of state total
• Berks: 167; 11.66%
• Dauphin: 151; 10.54%
• Delaware: 148; 10.34%
• Chester: 103; 7.19%
• Blair: 75; 5.24%
• Lycoming: 69; 4.82%
• Lancaster: 58; 4.05%
• York: 45; 3.14%
• Cumberland: 31; 2.16%
The following counties had one charge each, representing 0.07% of the state total: Clarion, Crawford, Fulton, Jefferson, Potter and Union.
A breakdown for counties in the region by year:
• Berks: 6 in 2020; 92 in 2021; 2 in 2022; 12 in 2023; 55 in 2024; 167 total offenses, 11.66%
• Chester: 72 in 2020; 0 in 2021; 0 in 2022; 5 in 2023; 26 in 2024; 103 total, 7.19%
• Delaware: 10 in 2020; 26 in 2021; 15 in 2022; 22 in 2023; 75 in 2024; 148 total, 10.34%
• Montgomery: 0 in 2020; 6 in 2021; 3 in 2022; 1 in 2023; 16 in 2024; 26 total, 1.82%
Court officials noted that 86% of defendants convicted are male, and the largest percentage of defendants — 37% — are in the 30- to 39-year-old range.