Local conference brings sex crime issues to the forefront and offers educational opportunity for the public and state law enforcement officers
NASHVILLE, Tenn., June 2, 2011- Each year in America, an estimated 100,000 to 300,000 women and children are victims of sex trafficking crimes. And it’s not something that only happens in “other places:” Davidson County confirmed at least 100 sex trafficking victims in a May 2011 TBI report.

To shed light on this issue, local advocates organized the Trafficking in America Conference that will be held here June 10-12. This conference  is open to the public and offers 12 hours of Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) certified credit for Tennessee state law enforcement officers.  Law enforcement officers are required to complete a minimum amount of POST certified education to meet hiring and continuing education standards.

“We need a unified, national effort to address sex trafficking of women and children.  The purpose of the event is to educate citizens and mobilize their efforts to combat this issue,” said Yvonne Williams, event organizer and local advocate for human trafficking awareness. “It’s our hope that this conference will spark a national grass roots movement to put a face on human sex trafficking in America so more people pay attention to what is happening in their cities and communities – and decide to do something about it.”

Williams said the conference is approved for law enforcement training credits because police officers are usually the first responders to sex crimes. “They need to be able to recognize the signs of trafficking when they investigate a sex crime so that they can focus on finding the trafficker as well as rescuing the victim,” she said. 

The conference will provide an in-depth look at the initial causes of this issue, identify how to recognize these crimes, discuss methods for restoring current victims and offer advice on how to thwart its progression.

“Sex trafficking is no longer just a crime taking place overseas. It is very much alive in our country, state and local communities,” says Williams.  “We all have a part to play in this issue and this conference is an important step toward fixing what’s broken.”

The TBI-approved conference will feature 15 expert speakers, including renowned author and trafficking victim Anne Bissell, award-winning investigative journalist Julian Sher, former Senior Advisor on Trafficking for the U.S. Department of State Laura Lederer and Free For Life International Founder Colette Bercu. Experts will take part in panel discussions and question and answer sessions in addition to discussing topics such as:

· What is sex trafficking and how does it affect the rest of the world;
· Fiction and reality of human trafficking;
· The...