Virginia State Police establish anonymous text tip line to investigate human trafficking

“The public plays a crucial role with helping state police identify both those perpetuating this crime and those being trafficked,” said Col. Gary T. Settle, Virginia State Police superintendent. “The free text and web tip sites give victims and the public a safe and secure way to report human trafficking. We especially want those being trafficked to come forward and use either of these tools to secure your freedom and safety. It is an opportunity for you to take back control of your life.”

In December, the Virginia Capital Area Human Trafficking Task Force concluded an operation targeting potential human trafficking in several localities within the Richmond area. The undercover operation took place Dec. 12-18 and yielded 16 arrests in Chesterfield, Hanover and Henrico counties. The multi-agency, investigative initiative focused on reducing demand for the purchase of sex.  It also aimed to identify and aid potential victims of human trafficking.

Of the 16 charged in this operation, eight were arrested in Chesterfield County, five were arrested in Hanover County and three were arrested in Henrico County on charges of keeping or frequenting a bawdy place, prostitution, and solicitation of prostitution.

Tips provided through the new text line are 100% anonymous, meaning that the technology removes all identifying information before the state police see the tips, so there is no way to identify the sender.

Additional reporting resources available to the public include the Virginia Child Protective Services (CPS) Hotline at 1-800-552-7096, the Virginia Victims Assistance Network (VANN) at 1-833-INFO-4-HT and the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888.