EASTON, Pa. — Northampton County announced Monday it has launched a new task force in the District Attorney’s office aimed at combating human trafficking and the sexual exploitation of children.
- Northampton County District Attorney Terry Houck announced the new Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force
- The force will focus on arresting adults using the internet to seek sex with minors
- in a statement, the DA's office said the Lehigh Valley has become a "potential hub" for human trafficking
The task force will be used to identify and arrest “buyers” soliciting sex from minors or adult sex workers, with the goal of ultimately prosecuting “offenders and organizations involved in trafficking innocent individuals,” according to a statement from the District Attorney’s office.
The primary focus will be to find adults using the internet to meet minors for sex, while providing resources to victims of trafficking.
“This exciting initiative is yet another step our office has taken to protect our communities’ most vulnerable members,” District Attorney Terry Houck said in a news release.
“Human trafficking is more prevalent in our area than one may realize, but with the assistance of our federal partners, we remain steadfast in our duty to vigorously prosecute predators.”Northampton County District Attorney Terry Houck
“Human trafficking is more prevalent in our area than one may realize, but with the assistance of our federal partners, we remain steadfast in our duty to vigorously prosecute predators.”
The release said the Lehigh Valley “has become a potential hub for human trafficking and child sexual exploitation,” because of its location near major population centers, robust network of highways and high number of hotels.
In addition to county detectives, the task force comprises officers from local municipal police departments and the Department of Homeland Security.
Representatives from the U.S. Attorney’s Office also are involved, in case investigators decide to pursue federal charges after completing their work.
The task force is the second the district attorney's office has announced in the past month and a half.
At the end of January, it announced a Major Crimes Task Force that will pool resources from state, county and law enforcement.
That task force, the first of its kind in Northampton County when it was announced, will pool personnel and resources from the departments to work together on particularly complex cases.
