Before diving into the details of human trafficking and domestic violence, please note that to respect the privacy of those involved, they will be named traffickers or violators and survivors. Though the information in this article is for informational and educational purposes, it is not for the faint of heart.

Human trafficking is the deal or trade in something illegal involving humans. Generally, force, fraud, or coercion is used to obtain labor or commercial sex acts. Each year, millions of men, women, and children are trafficked worldwide, including the Peak to Peak region in Colorado.

Domestic violence occurs in a close relationship between violator and survivor, including partners, ex-partners, immediate family members, and close friends. Instances may occur inside homes or in public places.

In 2021, there were 137 cases of human trafficking reported in Colorado and 91 deaths related to domestic violence. These numbers are cases and do not include the number of survivors involved, which can reach well into the thousands, according to Colorado Human Trafficking Courts.

Since 2015, the City of Black Hawk has identified four cases of trafficking and two recent ones, which are under investigation. One case involves a minor survivor, and a second trafficking case was identified during a routine ID check at a local casino.

Other Colorado reports of such crimes include an eight-year-old boy sold for sexual acts via Craigslist, social media private messages, weekend events, and casinos. Another young boy was trafficked by his father for a case of beer and a pack of cigarettes.

Working at night as an exotic dancer allowed an 18-year-old single mother to care for her daughter during the day and make enough money to make ends meet. After one of her shifts, she was severely beaten by her 40+ year-old bar manager for saying “No” to sleeping with a client.

Unfortunately, due to her age and her profession, those with the ability to help did not. The young lady returned to work after the first incident to continue being trafficked by willing violators. To deal with the pain of what was happening, she turned to drugs, suffering addiction and health issues.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, reports of Colorado residents coerced into allowing access to their children by landlords in exchange for rent were among human trafficking crimes. Domestic violence reports during the pandemic also show an increase of nearly six-fold in the state.

Though it is possible, survivors are not always chained and locked in rooms or physically beaten. The abuse can come in the form of physical or sexual abuse, financial or mental control, forced marriages, theft, and more.

Roughly 95% of survivors know their traffickers and violators, making it challenging to detect as they seem to be happily around family or with someone they love. This level of survivor “comfort” happens during the grooming stage, which can last weeks, months, or years.

Grooming occurs when a trafficker or violator builds a relationship, trust, and emotional connection with a person so they can manipulate, exploit, and abuse them later. During grooming, a survivor is also conditioned to do as they are told, including doing things such as smiling so they go undetected.

Traffickers and violators search for survivors long before they begin grooming. They approach those who are vulnerable. They are great actors in providing what survivors lack or need, making it easier to build trust.

An estimated 25% of survivors are youth, and 75% are adults, with 70% being females and 30% male or non-binary.

Even a social media post of your child, friend, or family member at school, work, or home can become bait for traffickers and violators. Be mindful of things you share publicly, as something intended to be innocent can place someone in danger.

Though human trafficking and domestic violence are often considered hidden crimes, they happen daily and in plain sight. The presence of casinos can add to demand, foster environments where exploitation and violence can occur, and come with challenges for monitoring and enforcement.

The Laboratory to Combat Human Trafficking (LCHT), the Black Hawk Police Department, and the Gilpin County Sheriff’s Office have partnered to educate casino, city, and county employees on recognizing signs and how to be more involved in response to such crimes.

There are signs one can pick up on to detect a survivor. Some of these signs include a zombie-like gaze from being drugged (this happens so traffickers and violators have complete control), lack of eye contact with others, unaware of where they are, never leaving a hotel room, and wearing inappropriate clothing.

Human trafficking and domestic violence can happen in any community, and survivors can be of any age, race, gender, or nationality. It’s happening more than we can keep up with, and it’s happening in your backyard.

To learn more about LCHT or to get help, visit https://combathumantrafficking.org/.

To learn one way you can protect children, visit https://www.bark.us/.

To learn about Colorado human trafficking, visit https://htcourts.org/colorado/.

For more information about domestic violence in Colorado, visit https://www.coloradolinc.org/legal-information/ criminal/domestic-violence-domesticabuse.

If you or someone you know needs help, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233. To report human trafficking tips or get help, call 866-455-5075 or text 720-999-9724, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.