Human trafficking often shows up in the news, but not everyone knows entirely what it means. There have been cases where people confuse human tracking with other criminal charges.
It’s very important to understand these types of charges, as the ramifications of a conviction are quite serious. If you have been accused of participating in human trafficking in any way, you must know what that means and what types of evidence prosecutors will need to bring against you to prove their case.
Coercion and force
Per the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, human tracking involves someone being forced to provide labor or commercial sexual acts. In many cases, this is done through fraud or force. In other situations, the person is coerced into doing it when they would not have done so independently.
For instance, the perpetrator of the human trafficking makes false promises. They might tell their victim that they will then be given a high-paying job if they do a particular thing. They then might engage in the act and find out that the job was a sham all along. Another way this can happen is through threats of violence. A person may be told that their family will be harmed if they do not go along with what is asked.
Transportation is also often involved. People may be located in other countries or other states and moved around to where these tasks are in demand. But trafficking does not just mean relocating someone alone.
Again, these are very serious allegations that could result in life-altering charges. If you have been so accused, then you need to know all of your legal defense options.