Human Trafficking - the action or practice of illegally transporting people from one country or area to another, typically for the purposes of forced labor or sexual exploitation.
2017 Arkansas Code, Title 5 - Criminal Offenses
Subtitle 2 - Offenses Against the Person, Chapter 18 - Human Trafficking Act of 2013 § 5-18-103. Trafficking of persons
(a) A person commits the offense of trafficking of persons if he or she knowingly:
(1) Recruits, harbors, transports, obtains, entices, solicits, isolates, provides, or maintains a person knowing that the person will be subjected to involuntary servitude;
(2) Benefits financially or benefits by receiving anything of value from participation in a venture under subdivision (a)(1) of this section;
(3) Subjects a person to involuntary servitude;
(4) Recruits, entices, solicits, isolates, harbors, transports, provides, maintains, or obtains a minor for commercial sexual activity; or
(5) Sells or offers to sell travel services that he or she knows includes an activity prohibited under subdivisions (a)(1)-(4) of this section.
(b) It is not a defense to prosecution under subdivision (a)(4) of this section that the actor:
(1) Did not have knowledge of a victim's age; or
(2) Mistakenly believed a victim was not a minor.
(c)
(1) Trafficking of persons is a Class A felony.
(2) Trafficking of persons is a Class Y felony if a victim was a minor at the time of the offense.
Crittenden County Risk Factors for Human Trafficking
-Most heavily traveled interstate in the country with I-55 and I-40 merging
-Home to numerous motels and truck stops
-Owner/Operator Truck Drivers bringing women in and out – drop off point
-Railroad/Railroad Intersection
-Mississippi River/Boat Traffic
-Juvenile Runaways
-Youth Social Media Activity (Snapchat, Instagram, TikTok)
-Gang Activity
-Drug Trafficking
-We are just minutes from Memphis
-Prostitution/Soliciting at Truck Stops BUT……how many young girls do you know of that turn 18 and decide to be a prostitute for the rest of their lives?
2022 Top 10 States for Human Trafficking
STATE RATE
Mississippi 6.31 per 100k
Nevada 5.99 per 100k
Missouri 4.34 per 100k
Nebraska 3.67 per 100K
Florida 3.43 per 100k
Texas 3.39 per 100k
California 3.37 per 100k
Arkansas 3.29 per 100k
Oregon 3.28 per 100k
Georgia 3.16 per 100k
Source: National Human Trafficking Hotline
NHTRC 2017 Human Trafficking Statistics
Who is at risk of being a victim of human trafficking?
EVERYONE!!!!! ALL AGES!!!! ALL GENDERS!!! ALL RACES!!! IT DOESN’T MATTER IF YOU HAVE A DISABILITY. THERE IS NO PREFERRED AGE FOR VICTIMS, ALTHOUGH EACH “JOHN” HAS HIS INDIVIDUAL FETISH/PREFERENCE. TRAFFICKERS UTILIZE EVERYONE OF ALL AGES TO LURE IN THE VICTIMS THAT WILL BE USED FOR SEX.
24 Hour Crisis Hotlines
Domestic Violence
870-732-4077
Human Trafficking/Sexual Assault
870-394-4830 8:00am - 4:00pm
901-422-3514 or 870-732-4077 After Hours
Surviving Family Members of Homicide Victims
870-394-4830 8:00am - 4:00pm
901-422-1793 or 870-732-4077 After Hours