In the News

Report: Lake Tahoe a Hot Spot for Sex Trafficking

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,…

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Light of Awareness Shines in Shadows of the Crowd

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.…

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Does sex slavery exist today in the U.S.? The answer is yes – even in Nebraska

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.

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‘I Am Jane Doe: 
Task Force Aims to Expand Understanding of Human Trafficking

“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.

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15 Arrests Made in Vast Human-Trafficking Operation with Ties to Omaha Area

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.

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International Human 
Trafficking Investigation Used “Omaha Model”

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…

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Our Words

The Importance of Criminal Record Relief for Trafficking Survivors

Trafficking victims are often arrested, tried, and convicted for crimes they didn’t choose to commit. In fact, more than 90% of sex trafficking survivors reported being arrested for crimes related to their trafficking, such as prostitution, drugs, theft, or unlawfully…

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The Graduated Screening Process

Identification of situations of violence & exploitation is a major challenge for service providers yet it is incredibly important in order to connect victims to the services that they need. Traditionally, organizations either rely on self-identification of instances of trafficking,…

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The History of PAVE

Identifying situation of human trafficking is a major challenge, and changing a broken system can feel impossible. However, both are critical in order for survivors to get access to the help they deserve. Back in 2016, the Nebraska Human Trafficking…

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Intersections of Human Trafficking & the Commercial Sex Industry

Not all commercial sex activity is sex trafficking, but all sex trafficking takes place within the commercial sex industry (indeed, it’s the portion of the industry that involves a lack of consent). This is why it is important and relevant…

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CINA Distinguished Speaker Series: Crysta Price – “Finding Trafficking Networks in Commercial Sex Ads”

Crysta Price from HTI Labs and Creighton University discusses human trafficking, including a case walkthrough that describes how data analytics, AI, and collaboration with law enforcement agencies led to the dismantling of a large international sex trafficking organization... Watch the…

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May 2020 Fundraiser Video

  [embed]https://vimeo.com/420053084[/embed] To Donate to HTI Labs: Because our mission falls within IRS guidelines, tax-deductible donations can be made through the Omaha Community Foundation. Please visit omahafoundation.org/donate and select "Other Funds" under the Categories drop down menu in order to find the…

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Join us in the fight against sex trafficking and domestic & sexual violence.

As we all struggle to find a sense of normalcy in today’s world, the mission of HTI Labs has remained consistent – we are committed to fighting sex trafficking, domestic violence, and sexual assault through the development of data-driven research…

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