Forget the movies. Federal and local investigators said human sex trafficking in the Omaha metro is real. And they are prosecuting more cases than ever before. Investigators said they are now treating the women prostitutes they find not as criminals, but as victims who get dragged into a lifestyle that almost is impossible to escape. Monica agreed to talk about a federal sex trafficking case in Council Bluffs.
The pimp then kidnapped her, took her to a hotel near the casinos and forced her to have sex with random people who responded to an advertisement the pimp posted online. It gave us a good lead. Brewer said cases like these prove that law enforcement views prostitutes more as victims now, not criminals.
That kind of logic, combined with the help of a member child exploitation task force in the metro gets results. Police gain the trust of people like Monica, telling them that it is OK and a good thing to come forward.
Project Harmony is also involved efforts to fight human sex trafficking. In December, it trained people -- police, health care workers -- on how to recognize a sex trafficking victim more quickly.
The organization will host a similar training session in April. Watch on Demand. Press enter to search Type to Search. Copy Link. Ryan Luby. Federal and local investigators say human sex trafficking does happen in the metro and they are prosecuting more cases than ever before. One victim says she was forced to have sex with men in Council Bluffs hotel.
