TRENTON — With New Jersey hosting eight World Cup matches this summer, the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office is taking a proactive, multi-part approach to stifle human trafficking, elevate the issue on a global stage, and ensure the tournament is not used by criminals to exploit vulnerable people and workers.

Attorney General Jennifer Davenport today highlighted a series of steps her office is taking to confront this heinous crime, including enforcement actions, efforts to raise public awareness, and training for frontline workers.

“From the beginning of my tenure, I identified human trafficking as a major priority. In light of the World Cup, additional enforcement is taking place and support resources are available. Our efforts help survivors and victims while holding perpetrators of this crime accountable,” said Attorney General Davenport. “Each of us, working together in ways big and small, can end the nightmare that human trafficking victims endure day in and day out. And our efforts do not end with the World Cup; we will continue to do this work for survivors and victims — those who have shown the courage to come forward so law enforcement can act, bring traffickers to justice, and prevent further victimization.”

Over the past several years the State has been increasing attention, awareness, prevention, and enforcement of human trafficking, expanding both the Human Trafficking Units of the Division of Criminal Justice (DCJ) and the New Jersey State Police (NJSP).

As World Cup matches are played in the Meadowlands and Philadelphia this summer, numerous efforts are being undertaken by the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) and other agencies to disrupt human trafficking operations across the state.

Increased enforcement

• Criminal enforcement: In May, the NJSP and DCJ Human Trafficking Units announced charges against a Camden man in connection with his alleged trafficking, promoting of prostitution, and acts of violence against two women, who he allegedly forced to commit commercial sex acts in exchange for money and narcotics. Keith B. Woodson, 40, of Camden, rented hotel rooms, bought supplies, and arranged meetings between one of his victims and clients, with the victim fearing that if she refused to perform sex acts against her will, the defendant would hurt her or withhold food. Woodson allegedly collected all the money the clients had paid.

In another case announced in May, 13 New Jersey residents were arrested in connection with a human trafficking ring they allegedly ran in Central and South Jersey. The ring operated across multiple counties, including Middlesex, Ocean, Camden, and Burlington. The victims provided the ring with all the money they earned, and in exchange the suspects allegedly paid for their lodging, food, other necessities, transportation, and controlled dangerous substances (CDS). The enterprise forced the victims to post online advertisements of themselves and was also involved in drug distribution, expecting the victims to provide narcotics to clients who were interested in CDS.

The NJSP and DCJ Human Trafficking Units will continue these important enforcement efforts and will increase enforcement throughout the duration of the World Cup, as such large international sporting events also bring an increase in trafficking activity.

• Victim outreach: In coordination with local and county partners, state law enforcement has conducted victim outreach operations, with the aim of recovering and providing services to potential victims of human trafficking. By combining investigative resources, victim advocacy, and specialized training, law enforcement can both rescue victims and connect them with support services, including housing, counseling, and medical care. These efforts reflect a continued commitment to combating human trafficking and supporting survivors on their path to recovery.

• Identifying and assisting victims: Expanding an innovative law enforcement-led pilot program designed to assist police officers with identifying young survivors and connecting them to support, rather than the criminal justice system. In partnership with Covenant House New Jersey, the Attorney General’s STAR program (Screen, Train, Assist, Respond), which started in Mount Laurel and expanded to Elizabeth in May, aims to divert victims away from punishment and toward support and stability.

The program focuses on young adults ages 18 to 24, a population particularly vulnerable to trafficking when experiencing poverty or homelessness. Officers are trained to use a screening tool at the point of arrest to determine whether a detainee could be a victim of exploitation and ensure victims receive appropriate services instead of facing further punitive actions. Participants are referred to services that provide case management, housing support, legal advocacy, and more to promote long-term stabilization and to prevent future revictimization and justice system involvement.

• Elevating the voices of survivors: OAG has been collaborating with the New Jersey Coalition Against Human Trafficking, composed of numerous survivor leaders. Attorney General Davenport has held meetings with survivors to learn more about their experiences, their paths to recovery and resilience, and to discuss best practices in our efforts to combat human trafficking.

Public awareness

OAG is also fostering greater awareness of human trafficking among residents, business owners, and agencies at different levels of government, encouraging them to recognize the signs and how they should respond if they encounter suspected trafficking:

• Alerting licensees: Letters were sent by the Division of Consumer Affairs (DCA), within the Division of Law and Public Safety, to New Jersey’s licensed medical professionals and licensed cosmetology professionals — both groups who may come into contact with human trafficking victims — educating them on red flags related to trafficking that they should look out for.

• Putting businesses on notice: OAG and DCA sent notices to a broad array of businesses operating in New Jersey, including hotels and motels, massage businesses, and online payment apps, reminding them of their obligations under New Jersey and federal law to prevent human trafficking. The notices also highlight the federal Trafficking Victims Prevention Act, which allows the Attorney General to bring civil enforcement actions against individuals or entities who engage in sex trafficking or financially benefit from knowing participation in a sex trafficking venture. The notices also include resources that help businesses identify the signs of human trafficking and direct them to promptly report instances to law enforcement.

• Training inspectors: Training has been provided to municipal fire inspectors and code enforcement officers, who may encounter evidence of potential trafficking situations during property inspections. Members of the NJSP and the New Jersey Department of Corrections have also been receiving continuing education on how to spot potential incidents and victims.

• Combating labor trafficking: Staff from the New Jersey Racing Commission, including investigators, veterinarians, and license inspectors, attended a proactive training session at Monmouth Park in Oceanport to learn how to recognize potential signs of human trafficking in the backstretch community: the many behind-the-scenes workers who live and work at racetracks during race season. This group includes stable hands, grooms, hot walkers, exercise riders, and other workers, largely from immigrant communities, who travel around the country working long hours caring for the horses. Staff who attended the training, provided by Covenant House, were educated about labor trafficking, its characteristics, the industries and populations where it has been found, as well as how to spot possible signs of trafficking in a person’s presentation, behavior, and history.

• Prevention campaign: A public awareness campaign was launched on June 1 with the nonprofit It’s a Penalty, which recruited soccer players to serve as ambassadors warning the public about the risk of human trafficking associated with large international sporting events.

The prevention campaign, running throughout the global soccer event, includes ad placements and activities at airports, airlines, hotels, accommodation providers, transportation networks, media platforms, and fan venues in New Jersey, New York, and other host cities across North America. It also includes educational videos, reporting mechanisms, training for frontline staff, and resources for the public.

• Online information and resources: The unveiling of a World Cup website that includes a dedicated page on fighting human trafficking, with the aim of promoting public understanding of how to detect and report suspected trafficking. The site includes tip lines for victims and witnesses to contact authorities, posters businesses can print out and display to alert the public to what to look out for, as well as resources for survivors to help them with counseling, legal assistance, housing, and other needs.