Human trafficking happening closer to home, new South Carolina data shows

Human trafficking involves exploiting individuals for labor or commercial sex through force, fraud or coercion. Officials say that doesn’t always mean chains or locked doors.

“It doesn’t look like what you think it is,” said Lauren Knapp, co-chair of the Tri-County Human Trafficking Task Force. “These individuals are being preyed on because of their vulnerabilities — and every human has this.”

Force can include physical violence or threats. Fraud often begins with a lie, a fake job offer, a promise of love or a place to stay. Coercion involves control, such as taking identification documents, isolating victims, or threatening family members.

“Trafficking is really a relational crime,” Burris said. “Most victims know their trafficker and have a relationship with them. Most cases are not a white van and kidnapping. It is relationship-building behavior, which makes it much harder to identify and much harder to prosecute.”

Recruitment Often Starts Online

Recruitment is often the first step, particularly for young victims, Burris says.

“It really starts with recruitment — grooming someone, building trust, putting something out there that they need,” she said. “On the sex trafficking side, it can be a modeling job, a romantic relationship created on social media, or sexting. That’s when a trafficker can hold those images over you as a means of control.”

Shame and fear often keep victims silent, she added. “A lot of teenagers don’t know what to do in that situation,” Burris said. “The embarrassment really drives them far to do things they would never imagine.”

Labor trafficking, she says, frequently begins with fraudulent job postings. “On the labor side, it starts with a fraudulent job post and a relationship between an employer and a recruiter, often in another country,” Burris explained. “The job looks one way, and when they get there, it’s very different.”

Troubling Trends and New Tools

State officials report that 86% of investigations involved sex trafficking, and a large majority of identified victims were children, highlighting how traffickers target vulnerable youth.

In Charleston County, a new human trafficking screening tool at the county jail has already identified victims who previously would have gone unnoticed.

“In 2025, by putting a proactive screening tool in the Charleston County jail, we served 50 victims who were being booked and arrested as criminals,” Burris said. “These were victims our criminal justice system is structured to treat as criminals.”

Data only tells part of the story, Burris said. “If you had looked at all data sources three years ago, you might’ve said there were about 40 victims in our area,” she said. “But traffickers are so effective, they manipulate victims to not even realize they’re being violated. The victims don’t see it — that’s why we need a proactive approach.”

Growing Response Across the Lowcountry

The Formation Project reports a significant increase in the number of victims served. “We served double the victims this year compared to last year and increased the number of labor trafficking victims by 80%,” Burris said. “Both crimes are increasing, but our community’s capacity to respond is growing as well.”

Collaboration is key to combating trafficking, said Knapp. “The issue with this crime is that it’s a connection between government and the private sector,” she said. “For victims to become stabilized, you need nonprofits helping law enforcement get these cases over the finish line.”

Education, she added, is making a difference. “Ultimately, we’re making people aware. Education is power. Information is power,” Knapp said. “As the community comes to the table and becomes advocates for victims who don’t realize they’re being trafficked, those numbers will grow — both good and bad.”

What You Can Do

Officials urge anyone who suspects human trafficking to report it immediately.

• Call 911 if someone is in immediate danger
• National Human Trafficking Hotline: 1-888-373-7888
• Text: 233733 (BEFREE)

The hotlines are available 24/7 and confidential.

For more information, you can read the full 2025 Annual Report from the South Carolina Human Trafficking Task Force here.