Orange County launches initiative to help adult human trafficking victims

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Orange County recently launched a new initiative to get much-needed help to adult victims of human trafficking.

Mayor Teresa Jacobs said she’s open to offering the new services to children down the road.

Numbers show there have been more than 70 cases of children being trafficked for sex in Central Florida this year.

Expanding the new service may be a challenge, since the Department of Children and Families handles human trafficking cases involving children.

Jacobs said the issue hits close to home for her.

“I personally know people who have lost their grandchildren, 15 year olds, to human trafficking, right here, in our back yard,” she said.

Last month, two teen sisters were trafficked for sex in Orlando, police said.

One of the teenagers died of a drug overdose at an alleged pimp’s home.

Four people have been charged in connection with her death.

The focus on the new initiative is a facility aimed at helping adult women caught up in trafficking.

DCF has 33 beds in Central Florida for teenage victims.

Services for adults are harder to find.

“The adult program is unique, because it will be 24/7. It will just be for human trafficking (victims) whereas the other agencies serve other populations as well,” said Tomas Lares, founder of Florida Abolitionist, a nonprofit aimed to end human trafficking.

Many adult victims were first trafficked as children.

“There are 12, 13, 14 year olds. Nationally, that’s the age of recruitment and here in Central Florida as well,” said Lares.

He said it’s a problem that’s hard to spot because victims aren’t physically restrained by the people selling them for sex, referring to it as “psychological chains.”

The 33 beds available for child victims are in a handful of facilities and foster homes across Central Florida.

Cox Media Group