LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WHAS11) – Attorney Andy Beshear calls human trafficking the fastest, growing criminal enterprise in the world – one that primarily preys on children.
Beshear spoke with survivors as keynote speaker at the Kristy Love Foundation Modern Day Slavery Survivor Dinner Saturday.
He talked about his efforts to combat human trafficking, something he says happens in every Kentucky community.
In addition to the recent arrests of Nigel Nicholas and Abigail Varney, in the past 8 days, a former district judge in northern Kentucky plead guilty to multiple counts of human trafficking and a Kansas man was indicted for traveling to Franklin County trying to buy a child with cash and drugs.
Beshear says the best thing anyone can do is to call authorities when something seems wrong.
He says it saved a life during the Kentucky Derby weekend two years ago.
“The hotel clerk saw something that just looked a little off and made a call. Because of that, my office rescued a 14-year-old girl who had been trafficked for over a year. Just that one call might be the difference between saving someone’s life or them continuing in this terrible industry where they are raped multiple times per night.”
If you see something out of place or fear a child is a victim of human trafficking, call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1 (888) 373-7888.