U.S. Department of Justice – 2020
This federal report, which is required by the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2003, as amended, describes federal efforts during Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 to eradicate human trafficking in the United States through protecting victims, investigating and prosecuting human trafficking crimes, and preventing additional trafficking. It details activities, programs, and initiatives by federal agencies to provide vital benefits and services to victims; investigate and prosecute cases; train federal, State, tribal, and local officials to identify and help protect victims; and work with State, tribal, and local law enforcement officials to identify, investigate, and prosecute trafficking offenses. Additionally, the report features information on federally-funded projects to combat sex and labor trafficking in the United States and abroad and activities to train foreign governmental officials. Key accomplishments for FY 2018 include: the successful seizure and shutdown of Backpage.com, an Internet forum that facilitated the sex trafficking of minors, and the prosecution of individuals associated with Backpage; the enactment of several federal laws related to human trafficking including the Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act of 2017, the No Human Trafficking on Our Roads Act, and the Combating Human Trafficking in Commercial Vehicles Act; the prosecution of 230 human trafficking cases that resulted in convictions against 526 defendants in FY 2018; the Federal Bureau of Investigation initiated 667 human trafficking cases and arrested 479 subjects; and the Office of Justice Programs made awards of more than $67 million (an increase from $47 million invested in FY 2017) to support State, local, and tribal jurisdictions’ efforts to protect human trafficking victims, prosecute those who commit trafficking crimes, and support coordinated community responses to human trafficking throughout the United States. Numerous references.