SANTA CRUZ — A recently published Santa Cruz County Civil Grand Jury report found that human trafficking in the county goes largely unrecognized and unreported, which is reflected at the state and federal levels.

According to the 28-page report , “Human trafficking is defined by the U.S. Department of Justice as a crime involving the exploitation of a person for labor, services, or commercial sex.”

The report states that many Americans believe human trafficking is not something that happens in the United States but in other countries. However, the National Institute of Justice, cited in the report, found that 85% of human trafficking cases go unreported, which could potentially add up to 5,000-10,000 cases per year in California, with adolescents and teenagers especially vulnerable.

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