Muskingum County Sheriff Speaks on Human Trafficking Awareness Day

ZANESVILLE, OH – January 11th is human trafficking awareness day.

It’s important to be aware of human trafficking. The Muskingum County Sheriff, Matt Lutz, said there are a lot of crimes that occur that aren’t labeled as human trafficking but are still considered trafficking.

“There’s a lot of situations where folks get tied up into different things with the wrong people. Then they’re kind of forced into doing things that they normally wouldn’t do for whatever various reasons. I think that’s probably what we see the most of.” Sheriff Lutz stated.

Be sure to pay attention to the signs of possible trafficking. Sheriff Lutz said according to stats, young females are usually affected the most. It’s important to pay attention to what your family members are doing and be aware of any behavior changes.

“If there’s something going on, there obviously can be depression. There could be addiction, there could be a lot of different mental health issues that could be a part of that. Also, if they’re being forced into something that they don’t want to do, they’re too scared to tell anybody. Really try to be there for them. Be a sounding board and just try to convince people that they do have a way out if they’re in something that they believe they can’t get out of.” Sheriff Lutz stated.

To help keep the community safe, if you see something, say something.