November 2021 Update on Ohio’s Anti-Human Trafficking Efforts

HT Task Force with space

November 2021 Human Trafficking Update

A brief overview of current news and updates on Ohio's anti-trafficking movement


news

The Governor's Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force released its 2021 report, highlighting accomplishments from 2019 and 2020, and outlining its 2021-2022 priorities. 

The Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services awarded $3.2 million in grants to support mental wellness of children, youth, and families. 

Dr. Manish "Manny" Raj Gupta was sentenced to 19 1/2 years in prison after pleading guilty to sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion and illegally dispensing a controlled substance. 

Twenty-three individuals were arrested by the Fairfield County Sheriff's Office in a human trafficking operation. 

A Northeast Ohio priest was sentenced to life in prison for sex trafficking minors, sexual exploitation of children, and child pornography. 

A Lorain County Grand Jury indicted 35-year-old Steven Gilbert on 54 counts including human trafficking and kidnapping. 


tools & technical assistance

Disrupting Illicit Massage Businesses and Human Trafficking in Ohio 
Abolition Ohio and the University of Dayton Human Rights Center released a report on disrupting illicit massage businesses and human trafficking in Ohio. 

Human Trafficking Data Collection Activities for 2021
The U.S. Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Statistics released the 2021 Human Trafficking Data Collection Activities Report detailing ongoing and completed efforts to measure and analyze human trafficking. 

Essential Guide for H-2A Visa Sponsors 
Polaris released a toolkit for businesses to provide an overview of the risks inherent in the H-2A visa program and outline how to best protect employees from exploitation. 

Voices of Freedom: Indigenous Voices 
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office on Trafficking in Persons released the next iteration of the Voices of Freedom Initiative highlighting the stories of individuals from the Indigenous community. 


meetings & events

Building Collaborative Responses with Community Health Centers to Support Survivors at the Intersection of Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Human Trafficking
Dec. 1, 11 a.m., virtual 
Futures Without Violence will host a webinar on Building Collaborative Responses with Community Health Centers to Support Survivors. 

Relink Human Trafficking Webinar:  Part Two
Dec. 2, 2 p.m., virtual 
Relink.org is hosting part two of its human trafficking webinar series in partnership with Eyes Up Appalachia and the Ohio Network of Children's Advocacy Centers. 

Hope, Presence, and Attachment: Breaking the Cycles Driving All Forms of Human Trafficking
Dec. 3 & Dec. 8, 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., virtual
Advocating Opportunity will host a two-part webinar series entitled Hope, Presence, and Attachment: Breaking the Cycles Driving All Forms of Human Trafficking. 

Non-Discrimination Practices in Housing Programs
Dec. 7, 3 p.m. - 4:30 p.m., virtual 
The Freedom Network Training Institute will host a webinar on how housing programs can successfully employ non-discrimination practices. 

Fundamentals of Human Trafficking 
Dec. 9, 6 p.m. - 7 p.m., virtual 
The Cleveland Collaborative to End Human Trafficking will host a Fundamentals of Human Trafficking training

Combatting Labor Trafficking: A New Framework 
Dec. 22, 2 p.m. - 4 p.m. & Jan. 13, 2 p.m. - 4 p.m., virtual 
Advocating Opportunity will host an encore presentation of its webinar entitled Combatting Labor Trafficking: A New Framework. 

Ohio Attorney General's Human Trafficking Summit 
Jan. 13, 2022, 9 a.m. virtual 
Registration is now open for the 3rd Annual Attorney General's Human Trafficking Summit. 

Cincinnati Anti-Human Trafficking Conference
Feb. 4, 2022, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m., virtual
Registration is now open for the 2022 Greater Cincinnati Anti-Human Trafficking conference.