Florida ranks third in the US for human trafficking cases

MARTIN COUNTY, Florida — Behind the sandy beaches and countless sunny days in Florida lies a dark crime that often goes unnoticed.

Florida continues to rank third in the United States for human trafficking cases after California and Texas, according to the People Tracing Hotline. The state had 781 cases in 2021, representing 7.54% of the total US cases.

January 11 is declared Trafficking in Persons Awareness Day in the United States.

This is a dark and grim reality for Savana Parvu, a child sex trafficking survivor.

“They started selling me when I was 11,” Parvu said during an online Zoom interview with WPTV.

Human trafficking became a way of life for the Orlando native after her own mother sold her for sex.

“And the time came when her drug dealer offered her crack for $10 instead of her, and then they started selling me,” Parvu said.

For 15 years, Parvu lived in a constant cycle of abuse.

In hotel rooms throughout central Florida and beyond, with nowhere or no one to turn to, she was broken.

“I would distance myself so that emotionally it would be like what is happening to me, but not really,” Parvu said. “So it took a lot of time, like in counseling and stuff, to realize how young and innocent I really was and how terrible it was and that my mom would never be the mother I needed.”

At 13, Parva was placed in a foster home, where she said the violence continued.

“It was hard for me to know or see that there was a way out because I was placed in a system that was supposed to protect me, where I ended up being trafficked again,” she said.

In 2013, Parvu began receiving counseling after breaking up with her mother.

Having endured over a decade of sexual abuse, she has turned her trauma into a triumph and now dedicates her life to helping others find their voice and bring awareness to human trafficking.

“There is hope,” said Parvu. “You can have a better life. You can succeed no matter what happens to you, and if you see something that you just have a bad feeling about, don’t be afraid to talk about it.”

Human rights activists have stressed the importance of recognizing the signs to help combat cases of human trafficking.

Catch The Wave of Hope is a non-profit organization in Martin County dedicated to preventing, educating and raising awareness about child sex trafficking. The group said it is seeing more cases of predators stalking and luring children online and it is important for parents to monitor their children’s online activity and relationships.

“Now the signs are: Is your child online a lot? Has he decided to give up some of the other activities he does? Does he talk to people you don’t know online? This was stated by Kelly Lorin, Chairman of the Board of Directors. “It’s a huge thing. Are there new people that have come into their lives that you don’t know about?”

Loreen said it’s also important to teach children to be self-confident so they don’t become a target for human traffickers.

To report incidents of human trafficking, call the national human trafficking hotline at 888-373-7888. Callers can remain anonymous.

For more information on Catch the Wave of Hope and other resources, click here.