A large number of missed school days, an older boyfriend, sudden possession of expensive clothes or items, a second cell phone or a new “modeling” job – all of these could be clues that a teen is being trafficked, a problem that officials are warning is happening every day in Connecticut.
“Human trafficking continues to be a serious and persistent issue particularly with respect to child trafficking,” Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz said. “Here in Connecticut the data is very clear.”
The Department of Children and Families has received more than 300 reports of child trafficking in the past two years and completed more than 350 consults. Nearly all the victims are female, data shows, and most are between ages 13 and 23. But officials know that the number of cases is underreported and, Bysiewicz said, many victims don’t realize they’re being exploited.
Bysiewicz, DCF and law enforcement officials are trying to raise awareness of human trafficking in Connecticut to prevent it and rescue those already caught in it.
“Globally it’s estimated that 27 million people are being trafficked and here in Connecticut, sadly, hundreds of cases are reported each year,” Bysiewicz said. “But there are many cases that go unreported and that’s why we are here today.”
“Since the pandemic we’ve seen an increase in sex trafficking, particularly online, because children are being groomed through technology and that’s why kids are at risk. So it’s important this month and every month to educate parents, children and the public about the warning signs of trafficking,” she said.
It’s crucial that everyone be vigilant, officials said, but some children, particularly those who are estranged from their families or victims of trauma, are more at risk.
“All children are vulnerable, all children can be victims but there are some children that have greater vulnerabilities that can impact the likelihood that they may be trafficked,” said DCF Commissioner Susan Hamilton. “Those can include physical neglect, having been abused or otherwise exposed to childhood trauma, and other factors around unstable housing and other physical and emotional unmet needs.”
Those vulnerabilities allow predators an opportunity to gain the trust of victims of any age by promising to meet those needs or to provide safety, housing or affection.
Hamilton said that most reports to DCF and law enforcement are of sex trafficking but that labor trafficking, where children or adults are being controlled and exploited for work, is also a problem in Connecticut.
“Part of the reason, I think, labor trafficking is reported less is because there are some misunderstandings around what that involves and it can be very difficult to identify,” Hamilton said.
When Connecticut receives a report of human trafficking – or modern slavery – multiple agencies collaborate to determine the situation, rescue the victim and provide necessary services like housing, health care and mental health support, and prosecute the offender.
Chief State’s Attorney Patrick J. Griffin, Deputy Chief State’s Attorney Lisa D’Angelo, Hartford Judicial District’s Assistant State’s Attorney Alexandra Arroyo and Connecticut Children’s Alliance Executive Director Krystal Rich joined Hamilton and Bysiewicz this week to illustrate how the agencies collaborate.
“It’s our collaboration that makes progress possible,” Arroyo said. “We’ve seen firsthand how devastating human trafficking can be and how powerful collaboration is. This crime cannot be addressed by one agency alone – it requires a united multidisciplinary victim-centered and trauma-informed approach: that’s what we’re trying to build here in Hartford.”
Griffin said that the criminal investigations to bring traffickers to justice are often complex and “involve multiple jurisdictions, sometimes multiple states, sometimes international. Without the assistance of our partners on the federal level, most of the investigations we engage in would not be successful.”
“Silence and secrecy are the traffickers’ best friends,” Griffin said. He noted that between 2022 and 2024, human trafficking investigations increased by over 200% in Connecticut.
And while officials noted that Connecticut has rapidly progressed in its commitment to fighting trafficking, including with new laws and collaboration, a spring report by the Regional Human Trafficking Recovery Taskforce that traced victims’ experiences through the process found multiple ‘pain points.’ The state lacks adequate resources to support victims, particularly in housing, the taskforce found, and law enforcement, health care providers and others who might be able to spot exploitation lack training and awareness.
State Rep. Jillian Gilchrest, tri-chair of the Trafficking in Persons State Council and chair for 10 years of the council, said Connecticut had made strides in combating trafficking but asked “why is there sex trafficking?”
“You heard from the lieutenant governor that during times of economic hardship we see an increase in sex trafficking in the state of Connecticut and across the country, during the pandemic and now, when we just haven’t kept pace with the high cost of living, but the more obvious and often unaddressed why is that there is a demand for it,” Gilchrest said.
“There are predominantly men who choose to go online and pay to sexually assault a child and there are men who make the decision to go to an illicit massage business and sexually abuse an adult woman and we know this to be true … also know it’s true of men in the state of Connecticut – otherwise we wouldn’t be here today having this conversation, needing to raise awareness about preventing and addressing human trafficking. So I hope we continue to do things to support those who are victimized but I would love to see this state and others de more to address the demand.”
Connecticut Human Anti-trafficking Response Team conducts trainings to educate professionals, law enforcement and communities about the signs of trafficking. Signs are available online at humantraffickinghotline.org/en/human-trafficking/recognizing-signs.
To report suspected human trafficking in Connecticut of children, call the DCF Careline at 800-842-2288 (24/7). In case of immediate danger, call 911. Anonymous tips can be left at 860-785-5051. The National Human Trafficking Hotline is available by texting 233733.