Dark underside of sex trafficking on Long Island needs light

The horrific details of the human trafficking case of a now 14-year-old East Patchogue girl that shocked the nation and was detailed extensively by Newsday remind us all there is a dark and unseen underside of Long Island that must be brought to light.

Suffolk — and the entire tristate region — has a human trafficking problem we can no longer pretend doesn’t exist because the subject makes us uncomfortable. Data is difficult to collect because trafficking is concealed, and some victims don’t come forward. Yet, Suffolk officials told Newsday, the county has a high number of trafficking incidents compared with other populous regions in the country.

Trafficking is defined as compelling an adult or minor through force, fraud or coercion to engage in sex acts or perform labor. Arrest one human trafficker, and two more emerge from the shadows. The impact on the victim is destructive and lasting, requiring a wide array of services for years to regather and reemerge.

Arrests alone won’t solve this scourge. Prevention is key and among the solutions are education and empathy.

"We tend to not want to talk about difficult conversations," Suffolk County Sheriff Errol D. Toulon Jr. told the editorial board. "It’s better to educate our community to understand the effects of human trafficking."

Toulon, who in 2018 helped create the nation’s first antitrafficking initiative inside a correctional facility, said his department interviews every female in custody about whether they are victims. Half of them are. 

"We can spout statistics every single day at many, many press conferences but people who tend to think this will never happen to me or in my backyard are wrong, because it will," Toulon said.

The secrecy of human trafficking, coupled with the stigma victims can feel, make it an underreported and overlooked crime. Through community workshops and direct presentations in cooperating schools, law enforcement and nonprofits teach warning signs, how to be safe and what to do if a person suspects someone is a victim.

Suffolk officials have repaired the fractured response across multiple government layers to create a unified and cohesive approach more adept at targeting traffickers and helping victims. Nonprofits and law enforcement warn children and adults about dangers lurking on social media. And government agencies and nonprofits provide counseling for substance use, which is often inextricably tied with trafficking. This targeted approach must be closely monitored for its effectiveness.

In June, the State Legislature passed a bill giving conditional immunity to people who are sex trafficked. Gov. Kathy Hochul should empower victims to come forward without fear of reprisal by signing the bill into law.

We should support victims who speak out and encourage those who haven’t yet, or can’t. This horrific tragedy can no longer be relegated to the shadows. Educate children and communities. Improve services for victims. Arrest and sentence traffickers.

Every victim deserves justice and to be heard. And every potential victim deserves our ultimate best to keep them safe before it’s too late.