HOUSTON – Two universities, along with 80,000 fans, are converging on Houston for the College Football Playoff National Championship weekend.
While many are here to enjoy the big game, KPRC 2 Investigates reveals a dark side that gets exposed when a national sporting event comes to town. Women and children sold for sex or forced labor. It’s called human trafficking.
Mixed throughout the hues of purple, gold, maize, and blue will be dozens of undercover law enforcement officers and their nonprofit partners.
Their big game is taking on an old competitor in the form of modern-day slavery.
“These events do bring women not just from Houston but from other cities, even other countries, to be trafficked in the city,” says David Gamboa with Elijah Rising.
The non-profit focuses on helping survivors of human trafficking.
He says caught up in the mix are America’s children and teenagers.
“We do see an increase and so we try and be aware of missing children. We have all those pictures printed out. We know their names. We know what they look like,” he adds. “So, we’re always on the lookout for those type of things.”
On the ground is the Houston Police Department’s Lieutenant Angela Merritt.
Because of the Bissonnet prostitution crackdown KPRC 2 Investigates first uncovered in May 2023, the prostitution underworld is mostly out of sight.
Investigator Robert Arnold asks her how much human trafficking has moved online.
“I believe that most of it is at least 60 to 70% of it is online,” says Merritt.
It’s a digital hunting ground for predators the lieutenant says lures young women through pimps presenting themselves as successful musicians and rappers or promises of high-paying modeling careers.
“Be careful of who you’re talking with on social media. You don’t know who’s behind that post,” says Merritt. “And a lot of times this is how these perpetrators will befriend someone and they will coax them, they will encourage them, they’ll groom them, and then they at some point it turns to exploitation.”
She says her team and the Human Trafficking Rescue Alliance Taskforce know of men already using social media to sell people.
In addition to the sex trade, there are those forced to do labor-intensive jobs.
Experts say they’re the secluded housekeepers or nannies, but big events also see an uptick in those forced to work for below poverty wages in the hospitality industry.
“A lot of times they don’t know that they’re being exploited. They don’t know that they’re supposed to receive a certain wage for a certain hour. But that is also a problem that we’re facing,” the Lieutenant adds.
When it comes to human trafficking here are five signs to look out for.
- The person is avoiding eye contact and looking down.
- There is little to no social interaction.
- If they do talk, it sounds scripted.
- Other than obvious bruising, look for branding around their chest or neck.
Law enforcement says if you spot someone you think is caught up in human trafficking call them right away at 911, their non-emergency line at 713.884.3131, or reach out to the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888.
All of those methods will help defend the city from this dark crime.