Human trafficking can sound like terrifying stories of things that happen in faraway places \u2014 the plot of a movie in which a tourist is torn off the street and whisked away.<\/p>\n
But that\u2019s not necessarily the case. Human trafficking is something much more real, something much more close to home.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s something that doesn\u2019t just happen in strange lands, but at home. It\u2019s something that happens in Berks County.<\/p>\n
That was the message of a special event Thursday outside the Berks County Services Center to recognize World Day Against Trafficking in Persons. There, participants were tasked with pouring red sand in sidewalk cracks to symbolize the structural inequities that can make someone susceptible to exploitation.<\/p>\n
It was part of the Red Sand Project, an artwork installation dedicated to raising awareness about vulnerabilities that can lead to human trafficking and modern slavery. The event was organized by the Berks County District Attorney\u2019s Office Victim Assistance Unit and Children\u2019s Alliance Center.<\/p>\n
![\"Melissa](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/REG-L-RedSandEvent1122.jpg\")
Melissa Miller, left, and Keren Mejica, both office support, pour red sand into sidewalk cracks during a red sand event at the Berks County Services Center to call attention to child trafficking on Thursday, July 30, 2026. (BILL UHRICH\/READING EAGLE)<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen most people hear the words \u201chuman trafficking,\u201d they picture something that happens in another country or a large metropolitan city,\u201d District Attorney John T. Adams said during the event. \u201cUnfortunately, that is one of the greatest misconceptions about this crime. Human trafficking exists right here in Berks County.\u201d<\/p>\n
Adams said human trafficking is a hidden crime that thrives on silence, fear and vulnerability. To combat it, he said, officials created the Berks County Human Trafficking Task Force six years ago.<\/p>\n
The task force consists of 27 officers representing 12 law enforcement agencies from across the county who work to find victims, investigate traffickers and bring offenders to justice. Over the past five years, the task force has arrested 200 traffickers.<\/p>\n
The task force also provides emotional and legal support for victims and survivors of human trafficking through court cases, trials and investigations.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs your district attorney, I assure you that our office is committed to aggressively investigating and prosecuting those who exploit others for profit,\u201d Adams said. \u201cHuman trafficking destroys lives, tears apart families and robs individuals of their freedom, dignity and hope.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Berks](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/REG-L-RedSandEvent1119.jpg\")
Berks County Human Trafficking Task Force members Lt. Nelson Ortiz, left, and Sgt. Kevin Quinter of the Wyomissing Police Department, center, speak about their work as Berks County District Attorney John Adams, right, listens, during a Red Sand event at the Berks County Services Center to call attention to child trafficking on Thursday, July 30, 2026. (BILL UHRICH\/READING EAGLE)<\/p>\n
Adams said task force members have learned that traffickers are becoming increasingly sophisticated, using social media, online gaming platforms and other digital technology to target individuals. He said traffickers frequently begin their crimes by building trust \u2014 offering friendship, affection, financial assistance or promises of employment before manipulating their victims.<\/p>\n
As trafficking evolves, so too has the task force.<\/p>\n
Adams said that over the last year the task force has strengthened partnerships with organizations to prevent trafficking and emphasize the importance of a holistic approach. That includes teaming with advocates who assist victims, providing training to law enforcement and educating the community.<\/p>\n
One of the task force\u2019s strongest partnerships is with ZOE International, an organization that works closely with victims to identify their unique needs and connect them to service providers and local resources for ongoing help and restoration.<\/p>\n
The organization provides human-trafficking awareness and training to churches, social workers, social service agencies, businesses, nonprofits, schools, health care workers, community groups and hotels.<\/p>\n
Adams said the educational aspect of fighting human trafficking is vital, as it is much more difficult to get someone out of a bad situation than it is to teach them how to prevent ending up in one.<\/p>\n
The district attorney said he was glad to take part in Thursday\u2019s event, stressing just how serious and dangerous the topic is.<\/p>\n
\u201cCombating human trafficking is one of our highest priorities,\u201d he said. \u201cWe will continue to work with all of our partners to stop human trafficking before it occurs by protecting those vulnerable to these crimes and send a clear message that Berks County will not tolerate those who exploit others.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Red](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/REG-L-RedSandEvent1123.jpg\")
Red sand is poured in sidewalk cracks during an event at the Berks County Services Center to call attention to child trafficking on Thursday, July 30, 2026. (BILL UHRICH\/READING EAGLE)
\nPersonal story<\/p>\n
In an effort to highlight the devastation human trafficking can cause, Dr. Joseph Birli shared a personal story.<\/p>\n
The former president of Bethany Children\u2019s Home who now helps coordinate Alvernia University\u2019s graduate clinical counseling program knows all too well the impact of exploitation.<\/p>\n
Starting in 1977 when he was just 9, he was forced into sex trafficking by his stepfather. He was made to perform sexual acts on men at an adult bookstore, with the acts becoming more and more horrific over time.<\/p>\n
His stepfather beat him often, punishing him for not performing to the satisfaction of the men or simply to keep him in line. On a nearly daily basis he reminded Birli that if he spoke a word about what he was doing to anyone he would kill his mother and siblings.<\/p>\n
The experience was traumatic and scarring, leading Birli to the edge of suicide.<\/p>\n
He finally escaped after graduating from high school, throwing himself into higher education and work as a way to distance himself from the horror. He spoke of it to no one, believing he would be made out to be a villain by anyone who discovered his secret.<\/p>\n
It was only at the age of 50 that he decided it was time to engage in his own healing journey. He found a trauma therapist who helped him navigate through the immense pain of his past.<\/p>\n
Birli said that boy is now a man who has found purpose in helping others on their journey from unfortunate circumstances.<\/p>\n
He authored and published a book last summer, \u201cFrom Prostitute to President: A Journey of Healing and Survival to Break the Chains of Human Trafficking,\u201d as a way to inspire others to share their stories.<\/p>\n
But, he said, the achievement he is most proud of is being the father he never had for his now 23-year-old son.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe story of this boy would never have been told had I not become the president of Bethany Children\u2019s Home,\u201d he said. \u201cI had never planned to share my story but go to the grave with this trauma. But when I was faced with leading an organization that was a specialized setting to care for children who have been trafficked or at risk of being trafficked, I knew that I must share that healing is possible and deserved by everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n
Birli said events like Thursday\u2019s are critical in bringing attention to a crime that too often is hidden in the darkness.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need to bring attention to the fact that the typical trafficker is not the creepy old guy with a white van,\u201d he said. \u201cWe must recognize that in many cases it is a family member, the sweet-looking grandmother who sells her grandchild into pornography or the beautiful young woman who recruits children because she looks like she can be trusted or young people themselves who are coerced into recruiting their peers.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2018In any town\u2019<\/p>\n
Melinda Clark shared that same message when speaking to the county commissioners at their weekly meeting before the event.<\/p>\n
She works for North Star Initiative, a nonprofit organization that provides housing and resources for survivors of human trafficking in Berks and Lancaster counties. The organization works closely with the Berks County Human Trafficking Task Force.<\/p>\n
She said it is important to address the most common misunderstandings about human trafficking.<\/p>\n
\u201cMany people only believe it happens in other countries, but it is something that we see happening in Berks County,\u201d she said. \u201cIt can happen to anyone in any town.\u201d<\/p>\n
Clark said many people think traffickers typically take their victims by force. But, she explained, that is the least likely thing to happen.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat is actually happening is traffickers are targeting vulnerable youth by building trust through online means or the traffickers are known to the victims,\u201d she said. \u201cMany of the victims we have encountered in Berks through stings believed that the person they thought was their partner or husband was actually exploiting them to generate a profit.\u201d<\/p>\n
While anyone can be a victim of trafficking, Clark said targeted victims disproportionately are minors, members of the LGBTQ community, unhoused, migrants, people of color and people with disabilities.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere there are vulnerabilities that exist, there is a criminal looking to exploit that vulnerability,\u201d she warned. \u201cAnd, as a community, our opportunity is to put energy into closing those vulnerability gaps as well as educating everyone we know about how that exploitation can turn into a situation that is far worse than they ever imagined.\u201d<\/p>\n
If you or someone you know needs help<\/p>\n
\u2022 Alert law enforcement: Contact local authorities immediately. It may be unsafe to attempt to rescue a trafficking victim yourself.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Recognize signs: Look for indicators such as physical abuse, lack of identification or signs of manipulation<\/p>\n
\u2022 Provide information: When reporting, provide as much detail as possible about the situation and the individual involved.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Use hotlines: You can also report suspected trafficking to the National Human Trafficking Hotline by dialing 1-888-373-7888 or texting JOIN to 233733.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Human trafficking can sound like terrifying stories of things that happen in faraway places \u2014 the plot of…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":259980,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[349,182,139,28,128,130,129,706],"class_list":["post-259979","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-reading","tag-berks-county","tag-local-news","tag-news","tag-pennsylvania","tag-reading-city","tag-reading-city-headlines","tag-reading-city-news","tag-top-stories-reg"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/259979","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=259979"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/259979\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/259980"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=259979"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=259979"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=259979"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}