CARMEL – Officials from a variety of governmental agencies and non-for-profits were on hand at last meeting of the Putnam County Legislature when the lawmakers proclaimed January as Human Trafficking Prevention Month.
District Attorney Robert Tendy joined Commissioner of Social Services and Mental Health Mike Piazza, Executive Director of the Putnam Women’s Resource Center Ann Ellsworth and Mary Beth Ross of the Putnam Children’s Advocacy Center to hear Legislator Toni Addonizio remind the audience that “human trafficking is a form of modern day slavery in which victims are bought and sold for the purposes of sex or labor.”
All youth are at risk with the average age of a young person forced into the commercial sex trade at an alarming 12-14 years of age.
Tendy noted that an “estimated 300,000 domestic youths are at risk for commercial sexual exploitation with one third of these children victimized by sex trafficking annually.”
Piazza explained the role of Safe Harbor, an initiative established by the Department of Social Services that is “strength-based providing support to trafficked youth and those at risk of being trafficked. In addition to Safe Harbor, Child Protective Services, the Legal Division of the Department of Social Services and the Child Advocacy Center are all deeply committed to increased community education on how to identify victims of human trafficking along with increasing resources and services to restore freedom and dignity to survivors.”
Ellsworth noted that “every business, community organization, faith community, family and individual can make a difference in protecting youth from sexual exploitation by addressing the issue of human trafficking and child pornography while becoming more aware of the problem and possible solutions.”
