INDIANAPOLIS — Human trafficking is a large problem around the country and here in Indianapolis.
"I think human trafficking is one of those silent crimes," said IMPD Sgt. Genae Cook. "People don't want to see it so sometimes they choose not to. It's going on not just in a foreign country or across the world, it's going on right here in Indianapolis. You know, we have detectives who their sole purpose is to investigate human trafficking cases."
Those detectives, Cook said, will go to homes and businesses as they work to identify potential traffickers and help victims.
"They go into this looking for someone who may be in a position where they need help," Cook said.
And help is often needed.
Just in the past month, two 16-year-olds from Indiana who had been reported missing, including one from Indianapolis, were found in the home of an Ohio man. Payton Jamar Brown faces federal charges of sex trafficking, accused of selling the girls for sex.
And last week, Damion Alexander from Fort Wayne was sentenced to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to trafficking a 17-year-old at the Sheraton at Keystone Crossing in Indianapolis, making thousands of dollars by selling her for sex.
And Sunday, Michael Horne was arrested in Kokomo. He's now facing child sex trafficking charges after police searched his home, finding a missing 14-year-old boy inside.
Cook said it's not just children and teens who are at risk and that adults, too, become victims of both sex trafficking and labor trafficking.
"But some adults have been in this predicament for a while," Cook said. "So they may have started when they were a teen or maybe they saw it happening to someone else they knew and just thought this is a normal way of life. This is where we ask our community when you see something, say something."
These cases can be tricky to investigate. Often, Cook said, it comes down to victims being willing to cooperate with an investigation or come forward so police can step in and help.
"And we want to be there for these people, for the victims of this, so we hope they're able to reach out and have confidence in our detectives to be able to help them work out of that situation, be able to find help," Cook said.
IMPD said you can help victims of human trafficking by keeping an eye out for warning signs.
If you see someone who isn't able to answer a question for themselves or see someone constantly monitoring or controlling a person's actions or answers in public, pay attention. And police say if something seems off, let them know.
You can call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 888-373-7888 or call Crimestoppers at 317-262-TIPS. You can remain anonymous.