Learn about human trafficking and what you can do to help

Learn about human trafficking and what you can do to help

Published on September 12, 2025

The Tarrant County 5 Stones Taskforce is a community network engaged in collaborative efforts to end sex trafficking in Tarrant County. This is a combined effort with the Fort Worth Police Department (FWPD) that unifies various levels of government, community agencies and concerned individuals.

The goal of the taskforce is to fight human trafficking through five focus areas: awareness, training, restoration, legislative advocacy and demand. The 5 Stones Taskforce serves as a place for nonprofits, churches, businesses, political representatives, law enforcement and concerned individuals to all network and collaboratively fight trafficking together.

The taskforce exists for three purposes related to anti-trafficking efforts:

• To support the FWPD.
• To support partnering agencies.
• To develop innovative and effective response strategies to human trafficking in Tarrant County.

The next 5 Stones Taskforce meeting will be 11 a.m. to noon Tuesday, Sept. 30, at 100 N. Forest Park Blvd., Suite 200. It will feature John Nehme, founding president and CEO of Allies Against Slavery, as he discusses trends and challenges with data collection surrounding human trafficking.

The event is free, open to the public and no RSVP is required. The meeting will also be streamed online, and pre-registration is encouraged if attending virtually. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

What is human trafficking?

Human trafficking is when anyone is pressed into involuntary labor or services via force, fraud or coercion. Due to the psychological grooming involved, cases involving juveniles under the age of 18 do not even need to show force, fraud or coercion if the victims are involved in commercial sexual exploitation (aka, juvenile sex trafficking).

Essentially, human trafficking is modern-day slavery, and juvenile trafficking is child abuse that is rarely identified. Furthermore, human trafficking is the fastest-growing criminal enterprise in the world and is quickly becoming the preferred crime over drugs or arms smuggling because it is highly profitable and perceived low risk.

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