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targeting our children. In August 2011, after hearing from local citizens about suspected human trafficking in numerous massage parlors in Warren, Ohio, I decided to reconvene the Ohio Attorney Generals Human Trafficking Commission. In response to this concern, my office, in collaboration with local law enforcement, launched a full investigation into these massage parlors. This investigation resulted in the closure of these suspected human trafficking fronts and sparked an awareness of the need for greater resources to combat this issue. 2012 has been an important year in the fight to end human trafficking in Ohio, and the Human Trafficking Commission has been a crucial piece in my offices human trafficking efforts. I am proud of the progress that the Commission has made over the past year. From researching and passing major human trafficking legislation to creating statewide webinars to teach children, teachers, and parents about the dangers of trafficking, this Commission has been on the front lines of the fight to better protect our most vulnerable Ohioans against the risk of human trafficking. My office has also focused on training and supporting law enforcement to give them the tools to arrest traffickers and connect victims to supportive services. Through the Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy, we have trained law enforcement on how to identify and investigate human trafficking cases. We also announced the first indictments under the states Trafficking in Persons law, using our new Ohio Organized Crime Investigative Commissions Central Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force to investigate and prosecute these cases. Law enforcement is sending a clear message to traffickers that Ohioans will not tolerate those who harm our children and our most vulnerable for their financial gain. I would like to thank all of the dedicated men and women who have collaborated with my office through the Human Trafficking Commission, the Central Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force, and our other initiatives to end this abuse. Though we have come far in 2012, we still have a great deal of work ahead of us. I look forward to our continued collaboration throughout the coming year. Very respectfully yours,
The passage of House Bill 262 has greatly strengthened Ohios response to human trafficking. Both Polaris Project and Shared Hope International, two national organizations that rate states laws on human trafficking, increased Ohios grade following the passage of the bill. Prior to the passage of House Bill 262, Ohio was part of the dirty dozen of states ranked at the bottom for its legislative response. Ohio is now in Polaris Projects top tier and was one of four states that was most improved. There have been a number of indictments under the state Trafficking in Persons law that are still awaiting trial. It is clear that awareness of this problem is growing in Ohio, with the general public, the legislature, and in the criminal justice community. Despite improvement, however, there is still work to do in increasing Ohios legislative response to human trafficking. Shared Hope Internationals improved letter grade this year remains only a C. The Legal and Legislative Subcommittee is already busy drafting legislation for the next General Assembly to refine the work done in House Bill 262 and to improve our response to human trafficking victims statewide. Priority legislative areas include lengthening the statute of limitations in Trafficking in Persons cases to match that of other sexual abuse cases, and to clarify language to make it easier to prosecute traffickers under the Trafficking in Persons law. Finally, the subcommittee wants to train the legal community to help it understand the provisions of House Bill 262 and Ohios human trafficking legislation. The Attorney Generals Office had the opportunity to update Ohios criminal prosecutors on the new law during the fall meeting of the Ohio Prosecuting Attorneys Association.
Demand Reduction
The Demand Reduction Subcommittee is working toward the reduction of demand for forced labor and compelled commercial sexual activity in Ohio, with a focus on both potential consumers and the traffickers. The subcommittee has been engaged in a number of long-term projects over the past year. One major undertaking has been the creation of a report on John Schools across the state. John Schools are programs to teach johns, the buyers of sex, about sex trafficking in the hope of reducing the demand by the john to purchase sex in the future. There is currently no standard for John Schools in Ohio. The subcommittee has been collecting information on the different John Schools across the state and will have a full report in the coming months. Efforts are also in progress to survey programs on educational efforts working with youth in Ohio on human trafficking awareness and prevention, including a focus on working with men and boys on the impact they can have to end sexual exploitation. This subcommittee has also been collecting ideas for possible research on the topic of demand reduction. Members of the subcommittee have reached out to universities interested in addressing this issue through further research. In the future, the subcommittee will be releasing the John Schools report, and plans to host a training on demand reduction activities underway in Ohio and other demand reduction strategies that could be used across the state.
Conclusion
Though Ohio made great progress in the fight against human trafficking in 2012, there is still much work to be done to address this issue in the coming year. The Human Trafficking Commissions six subcommittees will continue to make progress in creating additional awareness of human trafficking in Ohio; increasing the response to victims; providing additional research to better understand human trafficking and its impact in our state; mobilizing law enforcement; and creating better laws to protect victims. The Attorney Generals Office will continue to look for ways to support victims and provide additional resources to law enforcement to combat this crime. Human trafficking is a horror that attacks our most vulnerable citizens and we must all do our part to build awareness and eliminate this crime.