Florida ranks third in the nation when it comes to human trafficking—a frightening statistic shared at a special assembly for Human Trafficking Prevention month at Pinellas County Job Corps. The assembly was organized by the campus’s Youth2Youth Group to promote education and awareness about the dangers of human trafficking.

Keynote speaker Christopher King is State President of United For Human Rights Florida. He told the students it takes less than 30 seconds for a person to get snatched and they must be missing for 72 hours before police can take action. “In that time, traffickers could have moved a person to Atlanta, or Missouri or somewhere else far away,” added King.

Social media is the biggest target used to gain a victim’s interest. He warned against accepting friend requests or responding to texts from unfamiliar people.  King had the students rapt attention.