Human trafficking hits people in Slate Belt personally, police say in community forum

Two men allegedly kidnapped, sexually assaulted and held four women in shipping containers in the Poconos, eventually driving them to Pen Argyl, where one of the men owned a piece of land.

The women were released and the two men were arrested by police in June and face multiple criminal charges.

The recent case was one of many talking points that experts gathered at Pen Argyl in the Lookout Fire Department lobby on Thursday evening to discuss and raise awareness of the dangers of human trafficking.

Speakers in the council chamber included Patrick Jochum, special agent with Homeland Security Investigations; Pen Argyl Mayor Stephen Male; Slate Belt Regional Police Chief Jonathan Hoadley; and representatives from Bloom, a nonprofit that helps women, including those who have been trafficked.

Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is a division of the United States Department of Homeland Security.

Jochum, who works out of HSI’s Allentown office, said there are task forces in the Lehigh County and Northampton County regions dedicated to investigating human trafficking.

“It’s there,” Jochum said. “It’s not just in big cities.”

According to Jochum, human trafficking is a global crime that generally involves both sex trafficking and forced labor.

Jochum said traffickers use a variety of methods to control and exploit their victims, including physical violence, psychological manipulation, threats and deception. They often lure victims with false promises of work, education or a better life.

Human smuggling can lead to human trafficking, he said. People pay smugglers thousands of dollars to enter the U.S., only to find themselves in huge debts to the smugglers, who recoup their money through forced labor or sex work.

According to Carol Andersen, CEO of Bloom, people should also be aware of online grooming by traffickers, who can use social media accounts to lure women into a trafficking situation.

Bloom has several residential homes in the Lehigh Valley where women who have been victims of human trafficking and sexual exploitation can go for help.

Jochum said HSI takes a victim-centered approach. People involved in prostitution may be afraid to contact the police for fear of getting themselves into trouble.

However, Jochum said that HSI is not about arresting victims of sexual exploitation, but rather helping them escape that life.

“If we can help one victim and not have to prosecute anyone, we’ve done our job,” he said.

According to Jochum, anyone who has tips about, suspects, or has been a victim of human trafficking can contact their local police or call HSI’s tip line at 1-866-347-2423 or the national human trafficking hotline at 1-888-373-7888.

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John Best is a freelance contributor to lehighvalleylive.com. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.