On Tuesday, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation marked National Human Trafficking Awareness Day by urging Tennesseans to learn on how to spot human trafficking and support those who have been impacted by it.
Tennessee’s laws define human trafficking as the sale of an adult for the purposes of commercial sex by means of force, fraud, or coercion. Any commercial sex act involving the sale of a child for the purposes of commercial sex is considered human trafficking. The most serious human trafficking offenses in Tennessee qualify as A felonies, bringing with them the toughest prison sentences possible.
On Twitter, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation wrote, “On this #HumanTraffickingAwareness Day, take a few minutes to learn the warning signs and what to do if you spot them. #ITHasToStop.”
Governor Lee also shared a message on Twitter, writing, “Human trafficking is an attack on the dignity of every human being, & together, we can end it. Tennesseans can learn how to identify this crime & support those who have been impacted by it at http://ITHasToStop.com.”
On this #HumanTraffickingAwareness Day, take a few minutes to learn the warning signs and what to do if you spot them. #ITHasToStop https://t.co/rK7B1vYATG
— Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (@TBInvestigation) January 11, 2022
The website, ITHasToStop.com, is an outreach of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, powered by grant funding from the State of Tennessee Office of Criminal Justice Programs. The campaign site hopes to increase awareness of human trafficking in Tennessee and beyond by providing resources and helpful information for those simply wanting to educate themselves on the issue or those who are looking to report information regarding a case of possible human trafficking. The campaign also provides helpful resources for victims of human trafficking in order for them to become survivors through the process of restoration.
If you believe you have information about a case of trafficking, please call the Tennessee Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-855-558-6484 or submit an online tip HERE.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Email tips to [email protected]
