Human trafficking is described as a modern day form of slavery.
It's the illegal trade of another person for either sexual or labor exploitation, and it happens every day, in every state.
In February, Robert Kraft, the billionaire owner of the NFL champion New England Patriots, was charged with soliciting prostitution after allegedly visiting a Florida massage parlor that authorities say was a front for sex traffickers. The case has put a spotlight on trafficking and efforts to end it.
Ohio has the fourth most reported cases of human trafficking in the country.
But those who work to put traffickers behind bars and rescue the women under their control say that doesn't mean this crime is more prevalent in Ohio than other states. They believe it shows that more people here know the signs of this crime and are doing something about it.
Ideastream's Darrielle Snipes spent months following Cuyahoga Regional Human Trafficking Task Force and the organizations that educate the public about human trafficking and try to help its survivors repair their lives.
In the first of a two part series, Darrielle looks at efforts to catch and punish the traffickers who coerce these women into lives of sex and drugs.
