Address confidentiality for human trafficking and child abduction survivors is “one of the biggest issues” they face, which is why a measure was passed by the Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Kevin Stitt.
Ahsha Morin, executive director of the Lawton-based The Red Cord, said address secrecy is critical as survivors try to “migrate back into society.” In most cases, a survivor’s address becomes public record again because of their interaction with government agencies, even after going through months and years of violence or human trafficking.
“This (bill) allows them to stay incognito,” she said, referring to Senate Bill 1569 which was signed by Stitt. The bill, also known as the Address Confidentiality for Child Survivors and Their Families Act, gives survivors of human trafficking and child abduction the ability to keep their addresses confidential to better protect them from being stalked, harassed or otherwise victimized.
“This will be done through an existing program, and it will help address victims’ concerns that their whereabouts could easily be discovered through government records. Human traffickers can be relentless, so their victims need this additional layer of protection this measure will provide,” said state Sen. Darrell Weaver, author of the bill.
The Red Cord is an educational-based organization that teaches the community and nonprofit organizations about human trafficking and ways they can help stop it.
Oklahoma’s Address Confidentiality Program, administered by the state Attorney General’s office, provides victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking with a substitute address that can be used when interacting with state and local government agencies.
The alternate address will serve as the home, work, and school address, ensuring the perpetrator does not use government records to locate their victim. It can be used for enrolling children in public schools, for driver licenses, social services, child support, court documents, and more. The ACP can also help with confidentiality when applying for public utilities, registering to vote and with the transfer of school records.
SB 1569 will take effect on Nov. 1, 2022.
Morin talked about a human trafficking survivor she has worked with but who still receives telephone calls from people associated with her human trafficker. Morin said the woman has a new life with a husband, children and job.
“Her trafficker is in prison, but he has people on the outside who call her to let her know they’re aware where she is,” Morin said. “It’s about control and fear for these people (traffickers). They are sick and twisted. It’s good they have this law.”
Putting exact numbers on the amount of human trafficking that occurs in Oklahoma is difficult because it’s an underreported crime, she said.
“Sometimes, it’s not turned in. And when it is, it doesn’t always fall under the human trafficking category. It can be attached to so many other crimes that police are investigating like major drug crimes and the human trafficking part becomes secondary,” Morin said.
House Bill 4210, authored by state Rep. Daniel Pae, R-Lawton, would require the Oklahoma Attorney General to maintain data related to human trafficking and to assist law enforcement, social service agencies and private victim advocacy programs in identifying and supporting human trafficking victims. The measure would create the Human Trafficking Response Unit within the AG’s office.
HB 4210 was approved by the Senate with amendments and now returns to the House for its consideration.
The measure would require additional duties by the Attorney General’s Office, which would need an extra $10 million in new funding to implement the provisions of the bill.
Statistics from the National Human Trafficking Hotline shows as of Dec. 31, 2019, there were 328 trafficking contacts with 109 cases reported involving 207 victims in Oklahoma.
Information from the Polaris Project, an organization created in 2002 to address human trafficking in the U.S., showed 77 sex trafficking cases in Oklahoma during 2019, five sex and labor trafficking, 15 labor trafficking, and 12 that were unspecified.