It happens here

One of the fastest-growing crimes in the country is expanding its roots in the Hawkeye State.

Iowa State Patrol Public Resource Officers Paul Gardner and Kevin Krull outlined the dangers of human trafficking during a special presentation June 3 in Hartley. Held at St. Paul's Lutheran Church, the two men made clear that "modern day slavery" takes place in all 50 states, in urban and rural regions, and in communities both wealthy and poor.

"We do see [victims], we just don't understand what we're seeing," said Krull.

Human trafficking is a $150 billion industry worldwide that affects an estimated 40 million victims, many of which are under the age of 18. Victims are either exploited for sex work, labor or forced into domestic servitude.

Krull noted that 71 percent of females trafficked are minors with an average entry age between 12-14. Males are also affected, but to a lesser degree.

Krull and Gardner used a portion of the presentation to dispel common myths about trafficking. Many people believe trafficking only happens in foreign countries or to immigrants, which simply isn't true.

"That's one of the biggest myths out there," Krull said.

The officer also noted that human trafficking doesn't necessarily mean people are being moved from one location to another.

"Most victims sleep in their own bed every night," he said.

Krull explained the difference between prostitution and trafficking. The former is defined as a willing sex act between two individuals in exchange for money, while the latter involves a victim being forced to engage in a sex act by another person.

The trooper used the example of a pimp selling one of "his girls" to a buyer and keeping a portion or all of the money for himself. Law enforcement officials have estimated that one girl is worth up to $300,000 of tax-free money to her trafficker, which is why many choose to exploit multiple victims.

"That sounds pretty profitable to me," Krull said. "When you think about that, why only have one?"

Traffickers use multiple tactics to keep their victims under their control: They promise to provide for the individual's wants and needs; make the individual believe they are their boyfriend or girlfriend; promise to provide a glamorous lifestyle; or make the victim believe nobody cares about them.

"They have nothing, so they're trapped," said Krull.

People can look for a variety of indicators when they suspect a person is in trouble. Trafficking victims often lack knowledge of their location and proper forms of identification. They also don't speak for themselves and fail to make eye contact when spoken to.

Krull noted that physical indicators, like cuts and bruises or special tattoos, can tip off investigators as well.

"I'd leave that up to the professionals to ask about," he said.

Other tipoffs include odd haircuts, unusual clothing, and makeup covering up bruises or birthmarks. Krull also said to look for "warmth" when two suspicious people are in public.

"Does it look natural? As we always say – if you see something, say something," he said. "If it looks weird, then it probably is."

Both Krull and Gardner wanted to dispel the notion that sex trafficking doesn't occur in Iowa. The Hawkeye State sits between large metro areas like Chicago, Minneapolis, Omaha and Kansas City, and also has main arteries like I-35 and I-80 intersecting it. The pair also noted the state's massive ag sector has a large migrant population, which makes it easier to ignore new faces in rural communities.

"We don't look for what [we don't think] is there," said Krull.

Krull and Gardner encouraged local residents to look for the warning signs and contact authorities if they have concerns that someone is being trafficked. They said people get abducted via new methods and reminded those in attendance that things have changed in the 21st Century.

"It's not the creeper van we all used to worry about," Krull said, noting the various forms of technology traffickers used to manipulate their victims.

"You don't want to be mean to everybody you don't know...but always be cautious," said Gardner.