New task force program created in Southwest Florida to combat human trafficking, child predators

Reporter: Corey Lazar Writer: Nicholas Karsen
Published: Updated:
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Southwest Florida has created a program to combat the rampant problem of human trafficking and child predators.

Created and funded by Operation Light Shine, the Inter-agency Child Exploitation and Persons Trafficking Task Force (INTERCEPT) is designed to provide resources and support for victims of human exploitation.

The task force is comprised of several public and private partnerships, including all Southwest Florida sheriff’s offices, Homeland Security and Florida State Attorney Amira Fox.

WINK News interviewed State Attorney Fox about how this new partnership will realistically help take down those who are exploiting our children.

“It is going to enable us to have more reaching prosecutions, meaning if a case stretches into a foreign country, you will have the feds right there to help you with it and to also follow through on the prosecution if it is something they only have jurisdiction,” Fox said. “I think it is going to make a real change to our prosecution of child exploitation and human trafficking in this circuit.”

To learn more about the INTERCEPT task force and Operation Light Shine, visit the website.

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