This Wednesday, June 24 at 9am, Tom will talk to Laurie Swink, co-founder of Sarasota’s Selah Freedom. Its mission is to protect children, end sex trafficking and bring freedom to the exploited through their five programs: Prevention, Awareness, Outreach, Residential and Consulting.
Did you know that Florida is number 3 in the nation for sex trafficking, that two million children are sold into trafficking each year and that one in four children receive sexual solicitation online? Read more sex-trafficking statistics and resources here.
If you see something, say something! Call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888, Florida’s Trafficking Hotline at 888-FLA-SAFE, Selah Freedom’s Survivor Helpline at 1-888-8-FREE-ME or in an immediate danger, 911.
Some statistics from CLAUDE AI:
Florida
Florida’s picture is alarming and among the worst in the nation:
- The University of South Florida’s 2024 State Report on Human Trafficking estimates that more than 500,000 people were exploited in labor trafficking and 200,000 in sex trafficking within the state in the last year. Minors are estimated to make up half the population being sex trafficked.University of South Florida St. Petersburg
- Florida is ranked at the top of the country for rates of human trafficking. Researchers have cited multiple factors, including the state’s high population, number of major cities that host national and international events, popularity of airports and ports, and major industries like agriculture, tourism, and entertainment.NBC 6 South Florida
- Florida is the third highest state for human trafficking cases, trailing only California and Texas. In 2023, Florida reported nearly 2,100 human trafficking cases, and alarmingly, over 1,600 of those involved children. The average age for a child’s first traumatic encounter with trafficking falls between 11 and 17 years old.MG Injury Firm
- In 2024, the National Human Trafficking Hotline received 1,830 signals from Florida, identifying 832 cases involving 1,874 victims.National Human Trafficking Hotline
- There were 340,389 commercial sex ads posted in Florida during just a 90-day window in 2024. The Florida Department of Juvenile Justice conducted 8,527 human trafficking screenings in 2024.Florida Phoenix
United States
- In 2024, the National Human Trafficking Hotline received reports of 11,999 potential human trafficking cases referencing 21,865 potential victims. Of those, 6,647 involved sex trafficking. Among victims where age was reported, 2,666 were minors.S. Department of Transportation
- In 2024, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received more than 27,800 reports of possible child sex trafficking, and 1 in 7 of the more than 29,000 cases of children reported missing in 2024 were likely subjected to child sex trafficking.S. Department of Transportation
- In 2025, NCMEC received more than 113,500 reports of possible child sex trafficking — a 323% increase from 2024. Much of this surge is attributed to expanded mandatory reporting requirements under the REPORT Act.Internet Safety 101
- The average age a teen enters the sex trade in the U.S. is 12 to 14 years old. Many victims are runaway girls who were sexually abused as children.Internet Safety 101
- Since 2000, traffickers have recruited 55% of sex trafficking victims online, usually through social media platforms, web-based messaging apps, online chat rooms, dating apps, or job boards.Internet Safety 101
- The number of persons convicted of a human trafficking offense in U.S. district court increased from 616 in 2013 to 1,008 in 2023 — indicating rising enforcement, though experts note prosecutions still represent a small fraction of actual crimes.Bureau of Justice Statistics
Global
- Current estimates show traffickers hold 49.6 million people in modern slavery worldwide, including 12 million children (ILO and United Nations, 2024). The illegal industry now generates $172.6 billion from forced commercial sexual exploitation annually.Our Rescue
- The UNODC’s 2024 Global Report on Trafficking in Persons recorded a 25% increase in the number of trafficking victims detected globally in 2022 compared to pre-pandemic 2019 figures. The global number of detected child victims increased 31%, with a 38% rise recorded specifically for girls.UNODC
- The UNODC’s 2024 Global Report found that 38% of all detected trafficking victims were children. The International Organization for Migration found that family members are involved in nearly half of child trafficking cases.Aimfree
- AI-generated deepfake and text-to-image technology are increasingly being used to target and exploit children. More than 20,000 AI-generated child sexual abuse material images were discovered on a single dark web forum in 2024.S. Department of State
A critical caveat: All of these numbers, especially reported or “detected” case figures, are widely understood to be vast undercounts. The true scale of child sex trafficking — at every level from Sarasota to the world — is almost certainly far larger than what official statistics capture.