JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The tragic murder of 5-year-old Shaniya Davis is bringing awareness about a growing problem across the country and in Florida, human trafficking.
The Northeast Florida Human Trafficking Task Force is fighting the problem.
The group is made up of local police, attorneys and community members.
Crystal Freed is a co-chair of the task force.
"One of the things we see often times is the problem of throwaway children, children that run away, whether they're victimized at home sexually or otherwise," said Freed, a Jacksonville attorney.
Many times, the children are forced into a life of prostitution. In the case of Shaniya Davis, police say her mom tried to prostitute the little girl.
"It's heartbreaking. I can't imagine a parent wanting to give up their child," said Mike Eason. He works with the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office.
Eason is working with the task force to address the human trafficking problem.
"We need the community to be our eyes and ears, to be on the look-out for human trafficking," Eason told Action News.
According to Eason, Florida ranks third in the country as a human trafficking destination.
"Florida has a lot of tourism, plus access to the ocean and our interstate is really a gateway to the U.S.," he said.
The task force has aired public service announcements and held events to raise awareness about the problem.
One red flag to look for when it comes to human trafficking is at your local motels. According to Eason, if you see a lot of people going in and out of a motel, you should report it to police.
