Little Rock, Arkansas — A local advocacy group helped more than 400 victims in Arkansas in 2021 that is an increase from years past.
“It’s actually very prevalent here in Arkansas just because of the major that we have, Interstate 30 and Interstate 40,” said Grace Fundaro, community education director for Partners Against Trafficking Humans (PATH)
Christie Halpine and Terry Smith Jr. were arrested on Tuesday in Saline County under charges of trafficking and internet stalking of a child. The sheriff’s office alleges the couple knowingly arranged to have a meeting with a “person of authority” in an effort to meet with a child for sexual purposes.
“It’s heartbreaking every single time of course, especially when it has to do with children, especially when it has to do solicitation online,” said PATH’s development director Nick Starnes.
According to Starnes, the prevalence of social media has made the problem worse.
“It’s where they target their victims. That’s where they either pose as someone that they’re not or they just prey on circumstances that they see in the victim,” Starnes said.
It Fundaro notes that the average age of a victim is just 12-years-old.
“That’s an average, which means there’s younger and there’s older, so when you’re looking at that and social media trends, I think as a community we just have to protect the youngest and the most vulnerable,” she said.
According to the National Human Trafficking Hotline, evidence suggests people of color and LGBTQ+ are more likely to experience it than any other demographic. PATH does have a helpline available at 501-301-4357.
