Every parent wants to believe that their child is safe. But the harsh truth is that sex trafficking of minors doesn’t just happen in faraway cities or hidden corners of the internet: It happens right here, in the suburbs and across all five boroughs. In our neighborhoods, our schools, our shopping centers and along our main streets. This is not alarmism; this is reality. And this requires our collective action.
We have seen this crisis from both sides: law enforcement and direct services. Law enforcement investigated and dismantled trafficking operations across Long Island. Our experiences with the FBI, Suffolk County Police, and within the EAC Network have revealed a chilling truth: While drugs and guns can only be sold once, human beings can be sold again and again.
The creation of the first stand-alone anti-human trafficking unit in Suffolk County marked a turning point: a shift toward treating recovered individuals not as criminals, but as victims in need of safety, support and compassion. Together, the EAC Network and law enforcement have created a model program that connects survivors to trusted social workers and critical services, helping victims heal while bringing traffickers to justice.
It’s time for all of us to join the fight by understanding what trafficking is and how to keep ourselves safe. Traffic thrives in silence; awareness is our first line of defense.
At every training session we hold on Long Island, participants are stunned to learn how prevalent trafficking is right here in our own communities. But it happens here. And education – of our children, neighbors, students, patients, teachers, coaches and colleagues – is how we build a powerful defense against traffickers who prey on vulnerable people.
Last year, the EAC Network reached nearly 5,000 local students through workshops on trafficking, online safety and healthy relationships – and trained hundreds of parents, teachers and religious leaders to recognize the warning signs.
Vulnerability can take many forms. Whether they are students away from home for the first time or under financial pressure, or young people living in unstable households or online without guidance, traffickers know how to exploit the flaws in our systems. This isn’t about strangers kidnapping children from dark alleys.
Most sex trafficking in the United States does not involve stranger abductions. Most often, children are lured and groomed by someone they know – often through social media or gaming platforms, where traffickers can build trust over time and manipulate emotions with precision.
Some people still think that traffic is a “big city problem”. The truth is much different – and much more dangerous. The same tactics used in urban centers are used everywhere: self-medicate online, approach children in shopping malls or at bus stops, and exploit insecurities. Just as the opioid crisis has proven that addiction doesn’t stop at city limits, neither do human trafficking rings.
At EAC Network, we provide trauma-informed care, mentoring, safety planning, bilingual support, transportation, and most importantly, trusting adult relationships that help young people regain self-confidence and learn what healthy relationships look like.
In 2024, we received 118 referrals and served 191 local youth. Since 2014, our Safe Harbor program has supported more than 840 young people across Suffolk – children who might otherwise have fallen through the cracks. Yet even these numbers only tell part of the story: traffic is chronically underestimated. Victims are often afraid to come forward or are not recognized by adults who do not detect the warning signs.
We are also seeing alarming trends: more cases, more warning signs, and more children at risk. Traffickers are increasingly using social media, gaming platforms, encrypted messaging, AI and cryptocurrencies to recruit victims and evade detection. Combating these evolving tactics requires greater awareness, deeper collaboration, and greater investment in prevention and education.
Protecting children from exploitation is a shared responsibility. Every parent, teacher, coach, elected official, and caring adult has a role to play – learning the signs, having difficult conversations, and supporting the organizations doing this work on the ground.
Sex trafficking of minors is one of the darkest challenges we face. But with open eyes, strong partnerships and shared determination, we can – and must – face it together.
These are our children. And it is our responsibility to protect them.
Mukherjee Lockel is the President and CEO of the EAC Network. Hart is associate vice president for public safety and community engagement at Hofstra University and former Suffolk County Police Commissioner and former Supervising Senior Resident Agent for the Long Island FBI Office.
