Riverside County’s annual “Human Trafficking Conference” will run four days next week in a virtual forum focused on deterring sex crimes against children and ending labor exploitation, it was announced Thursday.
The 2022 conference will be hosted by the Department of Public Social Services, featuring multiple guest speakers and breakout sessions, from Jan. 10 to 13.
Open registration is available at eventbrite.com/e/riverside-county-dpss-csec-conference-tickets-219384132847. Information about where to log on and view the conference is available at the site. There is no fee for access.
Speakers will zero in on factors that lead to youths falling victim to sex traffickers, including substance abuse and homelessness, according to organizers.
Million Kids CEO Singleton Hendershot, who will be among the conference guests, said the internet has become fertile ground for exploiters.
“Online predators work to gain the trust of children, who are often already emotionally vulnerable, and they use that to prey on youth,” Singleton said.
In 2020 — the most recent year for which statistics were available — law enforcement agencies in the county investigated 200 cases of sex trafficking, according to DPSS.
“Every child deserves to be protected from exploitation, and this event provides parents, guardians and community partners with tangible tools to help keep our kids safe,” Department of Children’s Services Assistant Director Charity Douglas said.
In addition to Singleton, the slate of speakers includes Riverside County District Attorney Mike Hestrin, Desert Aids Project Community Health Director Grace Ayala and Barbara Sinatra Children’s Center Victim Advocacy Director Denise Bowman.
Along with the sexual enslavement of teenagers, the conference will examine how youths and adults can be reduced to servile labor, mainly in the underground economy.
The conference coincides with National Human Trafficking Prevention Month.
Officials asked anyone with information regarding potential human trafficking offenses, or victims in need of help to contact the 24-hour national hotline at 888-373-7888.