This event took place via Zoom Webinar, on Thursday, February 1, from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.

“Technology and the internet are an essential part of our lives, and no one should have to endure abuse just because they are attempting to participate in society.”

– VP Harris

Join your Women’s Fund for an enlightening virtual event, anchored in our Freedom From Violence Pillar. As we delve into the complexities of human trafficking, it’s imperative to understand the evolving landscape where traffickers exploit technology to carry out their heinous activities.

In our discussion, we will shed light on the disturbing trend of traffickers leveraging social media, online platforms, and emerging technologies to identify and exploit victims. Social media, once a tool for connectivity, has become a breeding ground for traffickers who create deceptive profiles to groom and lure potential victims into exploitative situations.

Compelling data from the National Human Trafficking Hotline indicates that technology, particularly social media is a common venue, as traffickers use these platforms to gain insight into a person’s life. In 2020, the hotline identified a 125% increase in recruitment reports through Facebook and 95% through Instagram.

We will be joined by experts in the field who will provide insights into the latest developments and discuss collaborative efforts to combat human trafficking in the digital age.

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Brenda Mezick received her law degree from Georgetown University and graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Maryland with a B.A. in English. She has been an Assistant State Attorney for the Eleventh Judicial Circuit for twenty-nine years. She has specialized in the prosecution of offenses involving homicide, cyber-crimes, capital sexual battery, human trafficking, and financial crimes against the elderly. She is currently the Chief of the Human Trafficking Unit and the attorney supervisor for the State Attorney’s Human Trafficking Task Force. She has participated in the drafting of several successful legislative initiatives to help improve Florida’s legal infrastructure for human trafficking victims and minors. She is a co-chair of the Elderly and Vulnerable Adult Work Group. She has taught for the American Bar Association’s Rule of Law Initiative, the Florida Prosecuting Attorneys Association, the National District Attorneys Association, and the Miami-Dade Bar Association. She has presented at numerous law enforcement trainings, conferences, and community events and has served as an adjunct instructor for the Florida International University’s Criminology Department. She is the recipient of the Florida Attorney General’s Human Trafficking Prosecutor of the Year Award, the Women’s Fund Law Enforcement Visionary Award, the National Crime Victims’ Rights Committee Justice for All Award, the CABA Pro Bono Award, the Dade Chiefs of Police ASA Recognition Award, and the Mothers Against Drunk Driving Award of Distinction.

PANELISTS

Shalyn “Shay” Fluharty is Executive Director of Americans for Immigrant Justice. Immediately prior to joining AI Justice, Shay served as an attorney consultant at Fordham University School of Law, where she led the Feerick Center for Social Justice’s national effort to expand access to counsel for mothers, fathers, and children who seek asylum.

Shay has over fifteen years of experience representing unaccompanied children and families who seek protection in the United States and spent nearly a decade representing newcomers on the Texas-Mexico border.

Shay directed the Asylum Defense Project, an initiative of Texas RioGrande Legal Aid, where she represented immigrant families detained at the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, Texas and individuals forced to remain in Mexico under the Migration Protection Protocols (MPP). Shay also directed the Harlingen, Texas office of the Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights and worked as a Staff Attorney with Catholic Charities Community Services in New York City.

Shay obtained a Juris Doctor at the University of California, Davis King Hall School of Law, a Master of Teaching at Dominican University, and a Bachelor of Arts from Southern Methodist University. Before law school Shay taught Spanish at Harper High School in Chicago. She is a proud alumna of Teach for America, Education Pioneers, and the Equal Justice Works fellowship program.

Shay resides in Miami, Florida. She was born and raised in Ft. Myers, Florida.

I’m Dr. Beatriz Susana Uitts

I founded Human Trafficking Front to be a research and advocacy organization dedicated to the study and prevention of human trafficking, modern slavery, and online child sexual exploitation through research, education, and capacity-building programs.

Through these efforts, we will empower communities, businesses, and governments to promote justice and positive social change.

Our Vision: A world free of human trafficking, forced labor, and modern slavery, where the human dignity and fundamental rights of every person are respected and protected.

Our Mission: We are committed to: 

  1. Advancing knowledge and responses towards ending abuse, exploitation, and trafficking, particularly that of women and children.
  2. Collaborating with governments, the business community, civil society organizations, and key stakeholders to strengthen a multi-faceted response that effectively prevents and addresses forms of human trafficking and modern slavery.
  3. Supporting concerted efforts to protect trafficking victims, their families, and children who have been abused and exploited via the internet and mobile technologies.