There is a pervasive myth that in a community known for its exquisite hiking trails, stunning ocean views, and vertiginous farm fields, human trafficking—a crime that involves force, fraud, and coercion to ensnare its victims—likely does not occur.
It does.
California is the number one state in which both sex and labor traffickers operate, and Monterey County is not exempt from the factors that invite them. The County is located in the center of the state with a major highway running through it. There are significant tourism and trucking industries, a large migrant population, and poverty. All contribute to the ability of traffickers to operate relatively freely.
Polaris, an organization largely respected for its accuracy, reports that in 2019 it was in contact with over 22,000 individual survivors nationwide, an increase of 25 per cent over 2018. Although these data, Polaris notes, “are not intended to represent the full scope of human trafficking, but rather the incoming communications received only through the National Human Trafficking Hotline,” it is a sign that this crime is increasing.
Locally, according to the County’s Office of Education and the Department of Social Services, it is believed that more than 100 children ages 10-18 have been trafficked in our community since 2015. The actual number is unknown. The difficulty in ascertaining an accurate count has three major causes: prosecutors choosing to indict offenders for related offenses that are easier to prove in court; the unsubstantiated fear of victims that they will be prosecuted for their trafficker’s offenses if they come forward; and communities that are not well informed about the crime of human trafficking and its often subtle hallmarks.
Given that human trafficking is believed to be the third most prevalent criminal activity in the world and a significantly profitable one, the actual number of victims is probably much higher than most estimates suggest.
What is it exactly?
Human trafficking is a form of modern slavery, even though it does not generally involve the stereotypical kidnapping and locking up of victims that the word slavery suggests.
According to John Vanek, an international expert and author on the topic of this complex crime, “force, fraud, and coercion are essential ingredients in determining trafficking, coercion being any scheme that causes a person to believe that failure to perform an act would result in serious harm, gaining compliance through fear.” Thus trafficking at its core is a psychological crime that mostly preys on the economically desperate, the marginalized, and the abused. But it can also seek out those who simply crave flattery, attention, material goods that are otherwise unattainable, or the promise of a glamorous life. Vanek points out that “the variety of ways a person can be exploited is limited only by the imagination of the trafficker.”
Who’s at risk?
No demographic, no economic class, no gender is free from risk. Transgender children who may have been abandoned by their parents and are living on the street are particularly vulnerable.
There have been both sex and labor trafficking cases prosecuted in Monterey County. The one that Deputy District Attorney Greg Peterson says “should send chills down the backs of the readers of this article” is one that concluded this year.
It originated with the Salinas police department, and involved a young woman from a two-parent family, “the kind that eats dinner together every night.” She had disagreements with her parents, not uncommon for teenagers, and ran away. Within 24 hours she was in the clutches of traffickers. Her parents located her and saved her from the traffickers, who were convicted and are serving long prison sentences.
“You cannot say that if you come from a good family, you’re safe,” Peterson said. “You are still susceptible.”
Recruitment methods
One of the most effective methods by which victims are recruited is, unsurprisingly, social media, and Instagram in particular, according the Peterson. “Traffickers look for young girls with open pages, tagging themselves to live in the Monterey area. The traffickers often pose as women, telling the girls something like, ‘You are so beautiful, are you ready to make some money?’ They will offer drugs, or promise new cell phones, or expensive clothes, but mainly attention. Everyone wants resources and everyone wants to feel beautiful. The cell phones and the expensive purses should be a tip-off that trafficking may be involved.”
But not all recruitment is done through the internet: traffickers often hang around school playgrounds or community centers, looking for possible victims. Because the signs of trafficking to a teacher or a school nurse or a police officer may be quite different, it can be a difficult crime to recognize. Vanek says that “trafficking is too complex to be approached with a simple list of signs to be looked for.” That makes awareness and vigilance especially vital.
Education, advocacy & resources
By definition, sex trafficking involves prostitution. In 2017 the California legislature decriminalized prostitution involving minors under the age of 18, so they are now treated as victims and never as “child prostitutes.” The change was meant to encourage victims to come forward to report their traffickers without fear of being charged with a crime themselves, which is often how traffickers will maintain a hold on their victims.
Further, since 2018, schools are mandated to educate students about human trafficking, starting in the first, third, and sixth grades. The objective is to let children know what they can do if they feel their safety is compromised. Middle schools and high schools require training for teachers so they can be on the alert for signs of trafficking.
The Monterey County Human Trafficking Symposium, an annual event that takes place in January during Human Trafficking Awareness Month, is held in partnership with the Office of Education and the Department of Social Services. This year it attracted a sold-out audience.
Advocacy & resources
There is a multitude of advocacy organizations devoted to prevention and counseling. Among them is the Monterey Rape Crisis Center, which offers a web of support for survivors of both sex and labor trafficking. Deborah Pembrook, MRCC human trafficking outreach manager, says, “We have a 24-hour hotline, bilingual and free. We work with survivors to help connect them with what they may need, including medical, mental health, financial, and advocacy. There are also other organizations in Monterey County, such as YWCA and the Coalition to End Human Trafficking. There is a survivor-led prevention education program called ‘Safe and Sound’ that teaches the coercive tactics traffickers use, in order to help young people resist these tactics. All of these organizations offer services to help us build a community that is resilient to trafficking.”
In addition, the Monterey County Department of Social Services has teamed up with neighboring counties to provide educational materials and resources, including tools to screen and identify at-risk children, with a coalition of public agencies focused on human trafficking.
Trafficker profiles
What is the profile of a trafficker? Again, John Vanek’s experience is instructive. “Anyone can become a trafficker — women as well as men, even teachers, doctors, business leaders, leaders within faith communities. A trafficker could look just like you or me.” Everyone interviewed for this story noted that human trafficking spans every segment of society. “It is a crime that happens in plain sight,” says Deborah Pembrook. “A trafficker can look like someone just going about everyday life.”
Questions have been raised about how Covid-19 has impacted trafficking, particularly labor trafficking. According to Polaris, “The pandemic is greatly impacting Latinos and Black people as a result of systemic inequities in our society. These inequities are the same ones that create the vulnerabilities that traffickers often take advantage of.”
The economic disparity in Monterey County only intensifies those factors and should make our residents take note of the consequences of such disparity.
How to protect children
Lauren DaSilva, Deputy Director of the Monterey County Rape Crisis Center, has specific recommendations for parents to effectively prevent human traffickers from finding their way to vulnerable children.
First, she says, “Focus on your relationship with your children and the relationship with your children’s friends. Try to stay grounded in your commitment to be an open communicator, a loving and caring parent who listens carefully to your children’s concerns. Have an age-appropriate conversation about permission, consent, and child abuse without thinking that the subject is over their heads or they can’t understand.”
Greg Peterson also offers advice, this time to young people: “Lock your social media, make sure it’s private,” he says. “Don’t accept promises of easy money, and be aware that if you find yourself a victim, you cannot be prosecuted.”
John Vanek reminds us how important it is to report trafficking since lack of reporting leads to people believing that it doesn’t occur in their community. He adds that “the trauma of victimization does not end when the traumatic incident ends. Victims are impacted to some degree for the rest of their lives.”
Advocates for survivors see daily how painful it is to emerge from a situation in which one has been coerced into behaviors that can permanently affect their mental health and their future relationships.
Deborah Pembrook sums up her own resilience in dealing with those who have suffered inestimable trauma: “We see real hope in the face of darkness every day.”
We must exercise our power to recognize and serve the population of human trafficking survivors in our very own neighborhoods by applying the diligence necessary to ensure that our children are not prey to the danger that surrounds them. Good parenting, open communication, education, and keen observation will go a long way toward reducing the ability of traffickers to upend lives and futures.
Susan Meister is a journalist, columnist, and community activist living in Pebble Beach. Susan’s writing was recognized with the 2020 Bronze Award for service writing from the Parenting Media Association.