SIOUX FALLS S.D. (KELO)– Human trafficking involves the use of force, fraud, or coercion in exchange for labor, services, or a sex act. Becky Rassmussen founded Call to Freedom 10 years ago because she saw a need to help victims of human trafficking right here in KELOLAND.
She recounts the story of a young woman, a trafficking survivor, who came to Call to Freedom as the victim of domestic violence. Counselors would eventually help her realize she had been trafficked by her father her entire life.
“And had actually been groomed by her father from age 3 until age 7, introduced to pornography, to drugs to sexual activity with him, once he had groomed her and set the stage to sell her to his friends for his drug addiction,” said Rasmussen. “And so he sold this young girl from age 7 to 18 and she had no idea because the person she trusted the most had introduced her to this lifestyle.”
For many, it’s hard to believe it happens right here in our cities and towns, but it does. On this day at their headquarters in Sioux Falls, workers were dealing with dozens of victims with similar stories. The number of victims prompted Attorney General Marty Jackley to appeal to lawmakers to toughen up South Dakota trafficking laws. Those statutes are now consistent with federal laws, including mandatory minimums.
“One of the things that I wanted to do, is make sure we were all on the same playing field, that we have the same laws that apply and I also wanted to make it more serious offenses that when you human traffic, especially a young child that there are serious serious consequences. It’s a 25 year felony now and I also wanted to protect those victims,” said Jackley.
From 2000 to 2022, there were 63 Human Trafficking cases prosecuted in South Dakota.
one percent were labor trafficking, 8 percent were adult sex trafficking and 90 percent were underage sex trafficking. Most cases were investigated in Sioux Falls, Rapid City and Sturgis Rasmussen says a next step will be educating everyone from first responders, to prosecutors to judges on how to identify those who are being trafficked.
“These traffickers are very good at what they do, they will manipulate, they will hold their basic needs, they will threaten their family, where they feel they have to engage in this act, which is called coercion, and they engage in this act and it really is trafficking not prostitution and so bringing clarity to that in our judicial systems I think is really key,” said Rasmussen.
Rasmussen is grateful to lawmakers and the Attorney General for seeing the need for tougher laws.
“Human trafficking is happening within our community and the fact that the Attorney General believes that we need to take a stronger position on human trafficking, not only speaks to us as staff but also to our community and to those that we serve that they are going to be heard and believed in these situations. So it is a game changer, said Rasmussen.
Rasmussen says the age of consent in South Dakota is 16, she would like to see South Dakota move it to 18. If you are a victim or know someone who is you can text or call 1-605-759-3565 or the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-866-347-2423.
