Traditional approaches to identifying and investigating sex trafficking have often relied on undercover operations targeting individuals engaged in commercial sex, with subsequent efforts to determine whether force, fraud, or coercion was involved. However, the field has increasingly recognized the need for alternative, victim-centered strategies that reduce harm and improve outcomes.
Over the past several years, AEquitas has convened roundtables with law enforcement, prosecutors, legal and medical service providers, victim advocates, and individuals with lived experience. These discussions have focused on emerging trends, effective investigative strategies, and promising practices that increase victim identification, enhance offender accountability, and reduce the risk of re-traumatization or criminalization of trafficking survivors.
This presentation draws from those roundtable conversations and highlights practical, proactive strategies that do not rely on undercover operations that target potential victims. It also incorporates insights from individuals with lived experience—both those who were impacted by such operations and those who have worked alongside law enforcement to improve undercover tactics when used in a targeted, trauma-informed manner.