Trafficking Arrests and Investigations in the Region. Next week, a Florida man is set to appear before a judge in Radford on charges of allegedly sex trafficking a woman in the New River Valley. Frank Smith was arrested in October following an undercover investigation.
Earlier this month, six men were arrested in Campbell County as part of a separate sex trafficking investigation.
The suspects, all local to Central and Southwest Virginia, range in age from 27 to Despite growing awareness, law enforcement officials say trafficking remains difficult to track and report. Tucked away in the Blue Ridge Mountains, a safe haven provides support for human trafficking survivors in Virginia. Rebecca Bruno, Executive Director of The Lampstand, a nonprofit that operates a safe home for girls ages 12 to 17 who have been sexually exploited or trafficked, says the need for resources is overwhelming.
Bruno recalled a case where a girl was on the waitlist for six months, waiting to turn 12 before she could receive help. If it looks off, it is off. According to the latest data from the National Human Trafficking Hotline, tips were reported in Virginia in Of those, cases were identified, involving victims—39 of them were minors. Caren Sterling, Deputy Director with the Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigations, said human trafficking is often under-reported and difficult to detect.
Traffickers can be a high school friend; they can be teachers. Really, the problem is that victims have this broad appearance, but so do the traffickers. The Lampstand Safehome is the only facility of its kind in Virginia. With only eight rooms, it is struggling to meet the growing demand. For more information about The Lampstand, visit their website: The Lampstand. Community Involvement and Prevention Efforts.
