Millions of people worldwide are being trafficked as sex slaves, according to a local nonprofit organization.
And the Lehigh Valley isn’t immune.
Officials from Easton and Northampton County invite the public to learn more about sex trafficking, how to spot it and how to stop it.
Many women and young children are sold into the sex trafficking industry, and then abused at local hotels, truck stops and fake spas in the Lehigh Valley, according to Bloom, a nonprofit advocacy agency that helps victims escape. The Lower Saucon Township-based organization says victims are often threatened and beaten if they try to run away.
“Sex trafficking is a form of modern slavery that exists throughout the United States and globally. It is happening right here in the Lehigh Valley,” according to Bloom’s website.
The town hall will be hosted by Easton City Councilman Frank Pintabone, Northampton County District Attorney Stephen Baratta, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Bloom. It’s scheduled for 6 p.m. Jan. 29 at the Boys and Girls Club of Easton, 210 Jones Houston Way in Easton.
The forum comes during National Human Trafficking Prevention month. The Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts released data in conjunction with the monthlong effort to promote awareness.
More than 1,400 human trafficking-related criminal charges were filed in the last five years in Pennsylvania. These offenses correspond to more than 400 cases, according to the state courts office.
Most of the Pennsylvania perpetrators are men, although 13% of alleged offenders are women, according to the courts.
There are more than 27 million sex trafficking victims worldwide, according to Bloom.
“Human trafficking is an issue that affects communities of all sizes,” Pintabone said in a prepared statement. “This town hall is intended to educate residents, raise awareness of warning signs, and connect the public with resources focused on prevention and protection.”