Attorney General Josh Hawley announces task force to fight sex trafficking
Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley on Monday announced the creation of a permanent, statewide human trafficking task force.
Hawley was joined Monday at a news conference by survivors, advocacy groups and law enforcement.
Hawley plans to have first-in-the-nation regulations designed to use consumer protection laws to go after traffickers.
The announcement came days after authorities arrested two men on suspicion of sex trafficking.
The men were arrested at their home on Vandiver after officials noticed odd activity that led authorities to believe that the home was housing a brothel.
Another man was indicted for illegally taking females across state lines specifically for sex.
According to court documents one man was promising the girls cars and money to get them to travel to the house.
Someone advertised the girls on Backpage.com, soliciting them for sex.
“Human trafficking is modern day slavery,” Hawley said. “It touches almost every Missouri community.”
Hawley said he hopes the new initiatives will combat traffickers and lower the risk of children and young adults from falling prey to it.
If you or someone you know is being trafficked, please call the hotline: 1-844-487-0492
The following people have been named to the task force:
Prosecutors
Ben Butler, Cass County prosecuting attorney
Kelly King, Warren County prosecuting attorney
Jason Lamb, executive director of the Missouri Office of Prosecution Services
Tim Lohmar, St. Charles County prosecuting attorney
Bob McCulloch, St. Louis County prosecuting attorney
Dan Patterson, Greene County prosecuting attorney
Catherine Vannier, domestic violence resource prosecutor, Missouri Office of Prosecution Services
Eric Zahnd, Platte County prosecuting attorney
Law enforcement
Chief Chris Connally, St. Joseph Police Department
Maj. Sarah Eberhard, director of the Criminal Investigation Bureau, Missouri Highway Patrol
Chief Brad Halsey, Independence Police Department
Chief Sara Holzmeier, Truman State University Department of Public Safety
Sheriff Randee Kaiser, Jasper County
Sheriff Mark Owen, Platte County
Chief Danny Whiteley, Poplar Bluff Police Department
Chief Mike Williams, Sikeston Department of Public Safety
Chief Paul Williams, Springfield Police Department
Non-Profit/Advocacy Sphere
Paul Banda, Anti-Trafficking Advocate
Amanda Colegrove, Coalition Against Trafficking and Exploitation
Pam Hamilton, Cornerstones of Care
Rochelle Keyhan, Polaris Project
Amanda Mohl, anti-trafficking community coordinator, International Institute of St. Louis,
St. Louis Rescue & Restore Coalition
Katie Rhoades, executive director, Healing Action
Emily Russell, victims’ advocate
Nanette Ward, chair, Central Missouri Stop Human Trafficking Coalition
