What many people may not realize is that human trafficking, in particular the sex trade, happens in the Midstate of Pennsylvania more often than people realize.
“Yes, truck stops, especially in this area because you have the Turnpike, you have 81, you have 78, you have 83, it’s a hub for major traffic,” said Les Freehling, Chief County Detective at the Cumberland County Criminal Investigation Division. Carlisle in particular is one of the most at-risk areas in the country. That is because along the Harrisburg Pike alone there are two major highways, three truck stops, and 18 hotels.
“There’s definitely international victims here,” said Krista Hoffman, Criminal Justice Training Specialist for the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape. “You thought you were coming over to be a waitress. Nope. You’re gonna be working in this brothel. You’re gonna be working in this strip club. Then it’s sex trafficking.”
But more commonly, traffickers prey on young, vulnerable children.
Learn more at Karissa Shatzer’s WHTM article: Experts: Midstate at-risk for sex trafficking.
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