Holding Human Traffickers and Buyers Accountable

On the latest episode of Not On My Watch, host April Moss welcomes Frank Russo, Georgia State Director for Right On Crime, for an important conversation about prosecuting human traffickers, holding buyers accountable, and protecting survivors. Russo discusses the meaningful steps taken by the Trump Administration to combat human trafficking and support victims, while explaining why laws must continue to evolve as predators increasingly use technology to target and exploit children.

Russo also examines the need for stronger criminal penalties for online exploitation, survivor-centered reforms, and greater cooperation among federal, state, and local law enforcement. From training businesses and community members to recognize warning signs to ensuring that victims are not punished for crimes they were forced to commit, Russo emphasizes that America must combine aggressive prosecution with compassionate protection for survivors.

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Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:15

Hello and welcome to Not On My Watch, the podcast dedicated to protecting children, exposing the realities of human trafficking, and equipping families with the knowledge they need to make a difference. I'm your host, April Moss. Today we're joined by Frank Russo, a nationally recognized criminal justice expert who has spent his career working alongside prosecutors, lawmakers, and public safety leaders to strengthen our justice system and better protect victims. Frank currently serves as the Georgia Director of Right on Crime, a national criminal justice initiative of the Texas Public Policy Foundation, and he'll be speaking this week at CPAC's Human Trafficking Summit in Washington, D.C. While many conversations about trafficking focus on heartbreaking survivor stories, today's discussion takes a different approach. We'll examine what policymakers, law enforcement, prosecutors, parents, and communities can do to better prevent exploitation, hold traffickers accountable, and protect our nation's children. Well, Frank, thank you so much for joining the show today. It's an honor to have you here.

SPEAKER_00 1:25

Thank you for having me. Honestly, it's an honor that you all thought of us and the great work that's going on, um, not just in DC, but around the country. So thank you for taking the time.

SPEAKER_01 1:33

Well, you are speaking at next week's CPACs Human Trafficking Summit, and it's an incredible opportunity to shine the spotlight on exactly the crisis that is going on in this country. But if you could share with us why is this issue one of the most urgent challenges that currently faces America today?

SPEAKER_00 1:52

I think uh anytime we talk about the anti-human trafficking issue or even just the child exploitation issue, the first question that you get from many folks is you all have also traveled the countries. There's no way this happens here. And as frustrating it is to have to explain that it does, I think it comes back to the purpose of as Americans, we feel strong in that the one thing we do better than anyone else is protect that next generation. And so I think it's such an honor to be able to work on this issue, but it's also a challenge because we have to admit, first and foremost, that there are challenges, that there are is child exploitation, whether it be digital in person, et cetera, and that there is human trafficking here in the United States. But I think the good news of that spectrum is we've got the tools we need and the law enforcement and advocates to fight this crime and push these criminals really out of our communities.

SPEAKER_01 2:36

Well, speaking of that, you know, you've worked closely with prosecutors and lawmakers throughout your career. Where do you think our criminal justice system is making progress and where do you think it still falls short?

SPEAKER_00 2:47

Start where where we started, which is that there's an education gap, even with you know law enforcement in the community. You look at a lot of the state laws that address everything from how we support children, make sure that abuse doesn't occur on the front end, whether that's through the foster care system or abuse at home, all the way through online exploitation. And then what do we do for survivors when they come back into the community? Our justice system, some of these laws and states were written 10, 15, 20 years ago for a crime we've known existed hundreds of years. And so it is a real challenge to first of all educate not just the community, but also those who have the responsibility to help keep us safe. The good news is those education efforts are making progress. So I'll give a couple examples. You know, right here where I'm based in Georgia, we have some of the most uh expansive laws that allow everyone from our attorney general down to our state and local uh prosecutors to our county sheriffs to go after human traffickers and child exploiters. That means everything from uh punishing not just that trafficker, but anyone who tries to purchase another individual, which again is a concept that seems so crazy, but does exist. We need to hold obviously the demand side of this accountable. And then also here in Georgia, we've got one of the first laws in the country focused on survivors. It says we know that survivors have been caught up in this process, often exploited at the hands of the criminal justice system, paying for the crimes of their traffickers. Well, Georgia, on top of having some of the toughest laws for both buyers and traffickers, we have new exceptions to help support those survivors and make sure that they are not serving sentences or living with criminal background records that otherwise would have been given to those traffickers in the first place.

SPEAKER_01 4:23

So I understand that you're, you know, you're very um researched on the different bills and legislation in Georgia. But if Congress could pass one piece of legislation tomorrow that would make the biggest impact in combating human trafficking, what do you think it would be?

SPEAKER_00 4:41

I'm I'm gonna be the worst lawyer ever and do two, or maybe it depends. I think there's two things that come to mind. I think the one thing that's gone really well is we have passed laws through the Trump administration focused on survivors. And I'm glad that's where we started. We should support those victims first and make sure laws like the Trafficking and Survivor Relief Act are that first big jump into solving this problem. But now we've got two other big problems. One is online abuse. We could do one thing, it's not just taking down that online piece. It's also making sure that we hold, you know, not just tech partners because they can be partners, but really everyone in this ecoverse of tech accountable. If abuse occurs online, it should be treated just as seriously if it occurs in person. So I would make criminal penalties tougher, make sure there are civil pieces available to make sure that tech, you know, tech facilitated abuse doesn't happen. And then I said I would sneak one more in and I will. We also do have to address that demand side. There is unfortunately the reason we know human trafficking exists, is there are buyers. Well, those buyers shouldn't be getting off scot-free either. We need to make sure that there are laws on the books that hold them accountable. And then again, we educate those law enforcement elements to go after those folks trying to purchase individuals, which again should never be a sentence we have to say.

SPEAKER_01 5:52

So when we think about how large this problem is of human trafficking, and we know it's not just a government issue, you know, it's not that government can solve this issue alone, right? It's going to take uh families and churches and schools and local communities and law enforcement officers as well. What role do you feel that those uh groups of people play in all of this?

SPEAKER_00 6:17

I'm so glad you bring it up because government isn't the answer to everything. And we also can't prosecute our way out of this problem. It does go back to some of those foundational institutions and values, but it also goes back to educating those folks. I think it's a scary issue at first. I've talked about it a lot. No one wants to talk about human trafficking. No one wants to have to believe that it's happening here. But once you realize that it turns out a majority of the community is on the side of the anti-trafficking movement, you start to realize that it's such a small population that these are individuals that we can go after and be successful. So how do we do that? I think to your point, it's churches educating their faith-based community, but also volunteering. I tell people one of the most impactful things you can do is impact is volunteer with survivors. One of the things I'm doing here in Atlanta, actually on the back of the World Cup, is going down to the city and we're packing care packages with survivors for some of those new individuals that unfortunately we encounter who need help getting back on their feet. So the first place I start is volunteer, learn more about the issue, but also get involved. And then the last piece is those faith-based communities are schools, our educational leaders. The more you educate, this crime thrives in darkness. We can bring it to the light. And that's going to force those perpetrators out and then eventually into those prosecutors who will put them into jail.

SPEAKER_01 7:29

You know, I'm curious as you brought up the World Cup, what have you seen surrounding these games that we've uh seen play out over the last several weeks in regards to human trafficking? Do you, do you, would you say in your assessment that these types of large-scale games create more of an environment for trafficking? Or what is your take on this?

SPEAKER_00 7:52

Again, I feel bad always giving the lawyer answer because it's always somewhere in the middle. I think it does obviously, anytime you're bringing in, you know, here in Atlanta, we had over, I think, six countries come into the city. We had hundreds of thousands of new people. Unfortunately, that does drive up demand, which means we do see more of a desire for folks to want to, unfortunately, purchase in other individuals. Um, but in the same sense, that spike is usually short-term. One of the parts of the World Cup that I think has been so effective, and the White House Task Force has been a really big partner on this, um, led by Executive Director Andrew Giuliani and his team, has really been focused on let's not just build towards the World Cup, let's establish relationships between federal, state, and local law enforcement, churches, major companies, hotel associations, all of the different elements of these games. And then let's keep that partnership together past the World Cup. So I tell folks, yes, there is a short-term spike, and we need to take that very seriously. And I think you may even see in the news, Boston had a huge um bust of a trafficking ring that existed there prior to the World Cup. So there is positive momentum. But one of the strong things that I'm I'm hoping to see and carry forward is that those partnerships exist long after the World Cup. Because yes, that short-term spike goes down, but that trafficking still remains. And I think we can get it out of our communities together.

SPEAKER_01 9:08

Talk to me a little bit about next week when you have this um human trafficking summit. You're going to be speaking on a panel. Walk us through what uh what a day at this trafficking summit is like. And I mean, it's it's very thoroughly put on. I was very impressed when I attended last year. I'm I know that this year is going to be fantastic as well. But you're going to be speaking to policymakers, uh, members of the administration, Congress. Um, what is the message that you hope every policymaker takes home from your uh discussions next week?

SPEAKER_00 9:44

Such a good question because I think we learn a lot from them too. But I would tell folks it's not just your chance to learn, it's your chance to advocate. And so one of the first lessons is that we can do more. I think the administration has started to move in the really positive direction. You know, the first problem was solving a lot of the immigration challenges. I totally understand and appreciate and have seen the impacts of that and ensuring that trafficking and missing children numbers go down. Again, a crazy thing that that stat even exists here in the United States. But now it's kind of what comes next. And I think what comes next is we need this administration. We need our state and local government partners to go back to your other question, which I think is so vital. We need them to all start working with the churches and their communities. We need them to come out and present. We need folks like the DHS Blue campaign to not just be in schools, but churches, to be with large companies. They should be training every Fortune 500 company. They interact with people every single day. So I'm going to give an example next week, I guess I'll preview for the audience, which is UPS here in Atlanta has started for the first time to train their drivers on what to look for. We have gas stations here in Atlanta that are training their employees to know what the signs are if someone's asking for help. And we've just missed all of these little touch points that could make such a big difference. Obviously, hospitals, law enforcement, they see survivors first, but there are so many other parts of society where we can intervene. And so my message to the administration to our audience is it's a teamwork goal. And I think if we come together and we start not just educating, but acting faster, we're gonna get these traffickers out of our.

SPEAKER_01 14:10

Yeah, those are all so important. And tell me a little bit, I know we talked about the CPAC event next week, but tell me a little bit more about right on crime. Uh, what is its purpose and how can people learn more about it and get involved in what you guys are doing?

SPEAKER_00 14:24

Absolutely. I'm I'm so blessed to be able to represent two major organizations that are focused on this fight, not just to end human trafficking, but make sure our criminal justice system does what it's supposed to do, which is justice and keep people safe. Um, and we've known through weaponization and other efforts, that hasn't always been the case, but I think we're on the path back. So the team at Right on Crime is really focused at the state level of making sure, but now also nationally, that our laws reflect what we hope the justice system would do. What does that mean? It means that prosecutors absolutely have the tools and resources to go after those violent criminals, also making sure that it's not just about the length of a sense, but how about the certainty of somebody being caught? I think that's one of the things we've learned through our years of advocacy and research is all too often criminals just feel that they're gonna get away with it. And that certainly is the case in the anti-human trafficking space. Um, and so I the right on crime team is so heavily focused on making sure that those front-end tools are available so that we catch those folks before they're ever able to commit another crime or grow that cycle of abuse. And then there's the back end of it. People are coming home. And oftentimes they are survivors of abuse or survivors of trafficking. And so we need to make sure our laws are set up so that they have an opportunity to earn their way back into society. And so that right on crime team, it operates in multiple states across the country. Um, it is right on crime, so it does have that little bit of a conservative bet, but it's meant to be that our laws should reflect and represent everyone, regardless of background. And I know that our team is focused on making sure the laws not just make sense in their states, but also at the federal level. So that way we have no two sets of rules when we come around this country. We make sure that everything's consistent, fair, and offers a true opportunity to reintegrate into society.

SPEAKER_01 16:03

Yeah, it's so it's so important. And I really do think that what you said earlier, when you said that uh many of the laws haven't been updated in 15, 20 years. And of course, now technology has advanced so much. So it is hard to keep up with how quickly things are evolving and changing in the way that predators access children and um have just it seems like unfettered access to um to the youth today. But uh, it is so wonderful to know that you guys are fighting for uh this criminal reform and advocating for victims. And um, just before we go, one last thought. Give uh give everyone a picture if they're able to attend the CPAC Human Trafficking Summit net next week. Um, give everybody just an overview of what they can expect when they come.

SPEAKER_00 16:48

Well, yes, we hope they join us. It is uh open to the public, nine to two on Capitol Hill in the Canon Caucus Room. And what I will say is you're gonna hear from different elements of the field. Yes, you're gonna get to hear from the current administration. President Trump and his team have focused on this work, and it's really exciting to see those updates. But you're also gonna hear from Capitol Hill because they're responsible for resourcing this problem and making sure, like you said, those laws are actually getting updated. But also, I think so importantly, that's something you all have done such a good job of is also hearing from those in-the-field folks, that whether it be the nonprofits, the folks who rescue children on in the private side, or the folks who have to deal with this tech-facilitated abuse, you're gonna hear from leaders throughout the community, a lot of which are former government. But some of these folks are now on the private side fighting to keep our children safe. And it's so it's such an incredible opportunity to not just hear from all of those different elements and see how they can come together, but also talk with so many of your colleagues in that audience about how we're gonna make that dream a reality. And that's something we're gonna work on not just this year, but long into the future.

SPEAKER_01 17:47

You know, Frank, you're really doing the Lord's work here. And um, I'm thankful that you were able to share your expertise with us today and your perspective because it's an important reminder that protecting children requires all of us, from lawmakers and law enforcement officers uh to educators, churches, and neighbors to make uh this a safe world for our children to grow up in. So, Frank, thank you so much for joining us today. I appreciate your time.

SPEAKER_00 18:11

Thank you so much. And I can't say enough about the work your organization's doing in this fight, too. It's great to know we're on a team together and we can continue to fight in the right direction.

SPEAKER_01 18:18

Well, we'd love to have you back on the show. And and anytime that you have an update that you'd like to share, we'd love to have you back on. So please feel free to reach out. Thank you again. To everyone watching, thank you for joining us for another episode of Not On My Watch. Together, we can shine a light on these crimes, protect the vulnerable, and ensure that child exploitation has no place in our communities. Be sure to like, share, and subscribe to America's future dot net and to not on my watch on all podcast platforms. Thanks again. We'll see you next time.