Presenters Ray Fiedler, left, and Paul Gardner were in Ellsworth talking about Human Trafficking last week.

ELLSWORTH — An opportunity to better understand the breadth of human trafficking in Iowa drew nearly 100 people last week to Trinity Lutheran Church in Ellsworth.

Ray Fiedler and Paul Gardner presented a sobering 90-minute program on the serious — and growing — situation in the state.

Fiedler is a coordinator with the Iowa Office to Prevent Human Trafficking; Gardner is an officer in the Iowa State Patrol.

There are two forms of human trafficking that most impact Iowa: labor and sex trafficking, they said.

Along with definitions and examples of human trafficking, they stressed what citizens can do through their own awareness.

“The eye does not see what the mind does not know,” Fiedler told his audience.

That means education — recognizing the problem — is paramount to identifying and working to solve the situation.

Human trafficking is considered an invisible crime, though it involves vast numbers of individuals, international contacts and billions of dollars every year.

“Trafficking can happen to anyone, anywhere, anytime,” he said.

The scale of the problem was demonstrated through several case scenarios. From recruitment in Central or South America, to crossing the United States’ southern borders, to working in agricultural states such as Iowa, individuals are being exploited by others, Fiedler said.

Trafficking, the presenters said, is always money: cheap supply and high demand resulting in huge profits for some. The rest, those that are victims, receive little or nothing but grief and pain.

The speakers were joined by Iowa state Rep. Mark Thompson, R-56, who provided an update on recent legislation concerning the issue. Thompson is a member of the Legislature’s Human Trafficking Interim Study Committee.

In 2023, a revised law made trafficking a higher felony and just last week a law on “grooming” of minors became a felony in Iowa. Thompson has worked with legislators in other states to increase the level of penalty of these offenses, he said.

For more information on Human Trafficking in Iowa, visit the website, www.stophtiowa.org.

People may be particularly vulnerable

to trafficking if they:

Have an unstable living situation.

Have a history of domestic violence.

Have a caregiver or family member who has a substance abuse issue.

Are undocumented immigrants.

Are runaways or are involved in the juvenile justice or foster care system.

Are facing poverty or economic need.

Have a history of sexual abuse.

Are addicted to drugs or alcohol.

Traffickers use a variety of tactics

to control their victims, such as:

Physical and emotional abuse and threats

Isolation from friends and family

Economic abuse

Monitor communications

Withhold food, shelter & transportation

Information from www.stophtiowa.org.