San Joaquin County Human Trafficking Task Force holds summit on dangers to kids
The San Joaquin County Human Trafficking Task Force is hosting a virtual summit on National Human Trafficking Awareness Day Tuesday about the changing dangers to kids.
The task force was created in 2014 and now consists of 40 local government and nonprofit groups. While documented numbers are victims in the county are low the task force says the county is a known hot spot for a crime where many cases don’t go reported.
The task force says that’s because of a large unsheltered population, gangs and several freeways that make easy access from the Bay Area and up and down the state.
Teens experiencing homelessness are at risk in particular.
"We never want to forget that there are people that are still currently being exploited today,” said Marjorie Saylor, founder and CEO of The Well Path. "I was exploited from the ages of 15 up until my early 30s. I didn’t get free until 31. It was because of me having my daughter that got me motivated to find help."
At Tuesday’s summit, the task force is focused on the growing dangers of social media as children become isolated due to the pandemic.