Child trafficking on the rise in Kentucky, advocates urge action and awareness

KENTUCKY (ABC36 NEWS NOW) — The issue of child trafficking in Kentucky has gained renewed attention in recent months, underscored by the case of 13-year-old Wynter Wagoner, who was reported missing for months before being found safe, and by national cases that have highlighted the scope of the problem.

As part of a two-part series examining child trafficking in the Commonwealth, ABC36 News Now is taking a closer look at how widespread the issue has become — and what can be done to stop it.

In the first part of the series, ABC36 spoke with Detective Ricky Lynn, former director of the Kentucky Human Trafficking Task Force. Lynn now travels across the country training law enforcement agencies on how to recognize the signs of human trafficking.

“We have a lot of kids, and the numbers have gone up for the last five years about kids being trafficked,” Lynn said. “We have kids in danger every day.”

Lynn says one of the biggest challenges is that many people don’t want to believe child trafficking is happening in their own communities.

“Nobody wants to believe this is going on with children,” he said. “Nobody wants to hear about this because it is a child hurt. I get it, but we have to have open conversations. We have to have open dialogue.”

According to Lynn, Kentucky continues to rank among the top 10 states for human and child trafficking. He says the problem has only worsened in recent years.

“The stats are going up and up and up,” Lynn said. “We can’t just be doing news releases in January because it’s Human Trafficking Awareness Month.”

State data backs up those concerns. Kentucky’s annual report on child victims of human trafficking shows cases have increased each year since 2013, with incidents rising by about 40% since the pandemic.

Lynn says prevention starts with awareness — especially when it comes to technology.

“We need to be talking openly about phones, the safety of our kids, stranger danger, and all the aspects that make kids vulnerable,” he said.

He warns that traffickers often use online games, social media, and messaging apps to groom children, sometimes without parents realizing it.

“The world has changed,” Lynn said. “We’re giving phones to elementary school kids. We’re letting kids take phones into their bedrooms and allowing anybody at three o’clock in the morning to chat with our kid.”

Lynn also pointed out that many people assume trafficking involves strangers or long-distance travel, but that’s not always the case.

“Everybody thinks I have to drag this child across the country,” he said. “If I’m a parent, I can traffic my kid right in my house.”

According to Lynn, about 60% of child trafficking cases involve someone within the home, often a family member. He also notes that while reported cases involving boys are lower, male victims are trafficked just as often — the cases simply tend to go unreported.

As Kentucky continues to face what Lynn calls a growing crisis, he says it will take a combined effort from law enforcement, community organizations, parents and everyday citizens to protect children and stop trafficking.

In Part Two of this series, ABC36 News Now shares the powerful story of a survivor who describes her journey through trafficking and her ongoing path toward healing and recovery.

If you or someone you know needs help

• National Human Trafficking Hotline: 1-888-373-7888

• Text HELP to 233733

• The hotline is available 24/7 and calls are confidential