Human trafficking may be on the rise in North Carolina

Some N.C. agencies that assist immigrants say they believe the crime is growing. glacour@charlotteobserver.com Human trafficking, which a Union County woman was charged with over the weekend, appears to be a growing problem in North Carolina, say experts who track such cases. A handful of agencies that offer assistance to immigrants have tracked the relatively recent phenomenon over the last several years. Specific evidence is rare for the same reasons law enforcement has a hard time finding violators: Victims tend to be recent immigrants who don't speak English and know little to nothing about the American justice system. “We don't have good statistics on it. But my sense is that it's growing,” said Jennifer Stuart, a staff attorney for Legal Aid of North Carolina. “We're seeing more cases.” Over the weekend, Monroe police... [read full story]