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An Omaha-based company using a data-driven approach to combat human trafficking recently raised funding to expand its crucially needed work to support law enforcement, victims and survivors of the practice. 

Nebraska law enforcement officials have been trained to have the presumption that people who are being paid for sex are victims so, rather than being charged with the crime of prostitution, they are more likely to get resources and connect police to the human traffickers.

Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse, chairman of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs is focused on tackling the nationwide issue of human trafficking. “It’s happening right here in Nebraska,” said Sasse.

To gauge the scope of sex trafficking across Nebraska and identify effective policy solutions, the Human Trafficking Initiative (HTI), supported by the Women’s Fund of Omaha and funded by The Sherwood Foundation, conducted focused research through Creighton University’s Heider College of Business.

Crysta Price and Terry Clark have spent the last few years looking at a very dark side of the internet. They run Creighton University’s Human Trafficking Initiative, which uses data science to crunch information scraped from websites that help sell people.

“What would you do if it was your daughter?” That was the resounding question behind a documentary viewed by 300 people gathered at the Midwest Theater Tuesday to learn about human trafficking from a local task force.

The days of fines and probation for crimes linked to sex trafficking are coming to an end in Nebraska. State lawmakers last week passed a bill that dramatically increases penalties for those who create the supply and demand for human trafficking. A minimum of one year in prison is likely for panderers and solicitors in such transactions. If children are exploited, both the pimps and johns could spend the rest of their lives in prison.

Officials said law enforcement agencies thanked Creighton University and members of a team participating in the Creighton Study on Human Trafficking for their assistance in the case.

The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office concludes a lengthy and significant investigation involving International Human Trafficking suspects operating in and throughout the Midwest. Special gratitude is extended to Creighton University and the members of the team participating in the Creighton Study on Human Trafficking.

Sex trafficking victims could have their criminal records set aside under a bill under consideration by the Legislature’s Judiciary Committee. Legislative Bill 1132, introduced by Sen. Patty Pansing Brooks of Lincoln, would provide a system for victims to be absolved of criminal records including charges like prostitution, petty theft and drug abuse. Meghan Malik testified on behalf of the Women’s Fund of Omaha in support of LB1132. Malik cited a study from Creighton University that

The Human Trafficking Initiative (HTI) at Creighton uses data science to collect, analyze and evaluate the scope of sex trafficking and identify effective policy solutions.

Most people don’t think that slavery exists today in the United States, let alone in Nebraska. The sad truth is that human trafficking in the commercial sex industry — those sold involuntarily for sex — occurs every day across the country. Creighton researchers are determining how many victims are affected by this crime — and what can be done about it.

A report from Creighton University, funded by The Women’s Fund of Omaha, shows every month in Nebraska, 900 people are sold for sex.

Matt Price already knows what he will be doing after he graduates from Illinois State University on Saturday: helping in the fight against human trafficking.

A new report from the Human Sex Trafficking Initiative shows that the commercial sex industry is thriving in Reno, which impacts communities from Lake Tahoe to Fernley. Reno Public Radio’s Noah Glick spoke with Crysta Price, one of the researchers on the study, to learn more.

About 900 people are sold for sex each month in Nebraska, according to a report from the Human Trafficking Initiative. Creighton University researchers who analyzed postings on a Craigslist-like website used to sell sex found advertisements for every community along Interstate 80 in the state.

The Human Trafficking Initiative (HTI) conducted the research through the Heider College of Business at Creighton University. HTI uses data science to collect, analyze and evaluate the scope of sex trafficking across the United States to identify effective policy solutions. HTI is supported by the Women’s Fund of Omaha and funded by The Sherwood Foundation.

Released in late 2016, the 4-page “Mapping Commercial Sex Advertising Around Reno, NV” study, was compiled by the Creighton University’s Human Trafficking Initiative and includes statistics gathered between April and September 2016 from listings in the Reno section of Backpage.com, a classified advertising website similar to Craigslist.

Research conducted by the Human Trafficking Initiative at the Heider College of Business at Creighton University revealed that 900 people are sold for sex every month in Nebraska.

Commercial-sex-industry research by Creighton University’s Human Trafficking Initiative found 900 people are sold for sex each month in Nebraska.

The study, conducted through the Heider College of Business at Creighton University, looked at one website, Backpage.com, which primarily features ads for “escorts.”

Findings of the “Nebraska’s Commercial Sex Market” report will be presented at a hearing Thursday on Legislative Bill 289, a measure introduced by Sen. Patty Pansing Bro

The research, conducted through the Heider College of Business at Creighton University, looked at Backpage, a classified advertising website that features ads for “escorts.” According to the report, Backpage accounts for 80 percent of online commercial sex advertising.

According to research done by Creighton University, funded by the Women’s Fund of Omaha, there are 900 people for sale online every month in Nebraska, and almost all of them are female.

Law enforcement and service agencies have known sex trafficking is a significant problem in Nebraska. But detailed research and information has been lacking, until now. Mike Tobias shares what Creighton University researchers have learned about the scope of the crime. It’s part of our special reporting project, “Sold for Sex.” Please note this story deals with subject matter of an adult nature.

In a recent study done by Creighton University called the Human Trafficking Initiative, alarming details were unveiled as to where sex trafficking “hot spots” have been identified in the Omaha Metro.

In the last year, more than 2,200 people were sexually exploited for money in the Omaha area on a classified advertising website that runs adult ads, Anna Brewer said, citing data from Creighton University’s Human Trafficking Initiative.

Kirsta Melton, deputy criminal chief of the human trafficking and transnational organized crime unit at the Texas Attorney General’s Office, said sex trafficking is a problem statewide and is not confined to certain cities and areas.[…]Ms. Melton said a Creighton University study found that in a five-month period from November 2015 to March 2016, there were 10,000 unique sellers on one online website offering sex in Houston.

Just how many victims has been difficult to determine. Crysta Price, co-director of Creighton University’s Human Trafficking Initiative, shared early results from her research on the scope of trafficking in Nebraska.