LINCOLN — Governor Jim Pillen, joined by state and federal law enforcement officials, held a press conference on Friday to address what he described as “the darkest possible sin taking place in Nebraska.” For the third consecutive year, Pillen proclaimed January as Human Trafficking Awareness Month, emphasizing that trafficking, involving forced labor or sexual exploitation, is affecting all 93 counties in the state.
“It is everywhere,” Pillen stated, underscoring the gravity of the issue alongside Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers, Nebraska State Patrol Superintendent Col. John Bolduc, and FBI Special Agent Eugene Kowel. Pillen expressed disbelief when first learning about the problem, saying, “Somebody’s gotta be making stuff up.”
The ceremony, attended by lawmakers, advocates, and law enforcement, coincided with a report from Hilgers’ office. The report revealed 12 sex trafficking-related felony convictions in Nebraska last year, some involving related charges to ensure traffickers are held accountable. Since 2018, the state has averaged between seven and 14 trafficking convictions annually. Despite raising penalties for traffickers and protecting victims from prostitution charges in recent years, Nebraska has recorded only 27 trafficking or attempted trafficking convictions in its history.
Hilgers highlighted the efforts of the Nebraska Human Trafficking Task Force, which trained over 2,000 individuals in 2023 to recognize trafficking warning signs. He noted an increase in calls to the state’s trafficking hotline, which received 113 calls last year, leading to 94 law enforcement tips, 15 police dispatches, and four survivors requesting assistance.
In October, the state signed a four-year, $1.04 million contract with Omaha-based HTI Labs to deploy technology aimed at screening potential trafficking victims. This tool will be implemented by the Department of Health and Human Services’ Division of Child and Family Services. Hilgers stressed the importance of equipping investigators with resources that match the sophistication of trafficking networks.
Pillen described the crime as highly complex, comparing its operations to drug cartels, and emphasized its hidden nature. “It can be right next door, and we don’t see it, but it is,” he said.
Nebraska’s Human Trafficking Hotline is available 24/7 at 833-PLS-LOOK (833-757-5665) for reporting suspected cases of trafficking.
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