A dramatic surge in human trafficking cases across North Carolina has sent shockwaves through communities, with new data revealing that children are being targeted at alarming rates throughout one of America’s most populous states.
North Carolina now ranks ninth nationally for human trafficking, according to data from the National Human Trafficking Hotline. The state identified 301 cases involving 580 victims in 2024, marking a crisis that experts say demands immediate attention.
The cases encompass sex trafficking, labor trafficking and additional forms of exploitation that may not be specified or remain unknown, according to the Hotline.
North Carolina’s 2024 data shows 145 reported cases of sex trafficking, 73 cases of labor trafficking and 38 cases involving both sex and labor trafficking.
Hannah Arrowood, executive director of Present Age Ministries, leads a partnership with the Charlotte Metro Human Trafficking Task Force to understand and combat the rising case numbers. She describes the situation as a convergence of multiple factors creating dangerous conditions. “It really is kind of like a perfect storm,” Arrowood told Fox News.
“There are a lot of variables. One of the things that we have to know is that trafficking happens everywhere. It happens in every city and every town, whether you’re rural [or in a] city – it really doesn’t matter. But for Charlotte, one thing is that we have a lot of factors that attract demand.”
The staggering number of cases stems from North Carolina’s extensive interstate highway system, high demand for inexpensive labor in its agricultural sector and increased gang activity, according to experts analyzing the crisis.
Charlotte has emerged as a critical trafficking hub due to its strategic location within the interstate network.
Toby Braun, founder of American Special Investigative Group, explained how traffickers exploit the city’s geographic position. “Part of the reason why Charlotte is such a huge trafficking hub is because of the highway system,” Braun told Fox.
“A lot of these traffickers are running victims and may start in South Florida. From South Florida, they go to Atlanta, and from Atlanta, they pass through Charlotte. Oftentimes there, they may put them in safe houses.”
Victims are subsequently transported to other major metropolitan areas including New York and Houston after moving through Charlotte, Braun noted. “Charlotte is kind of like a central hub, or an epicenter,” Braun said. “For the most part, it’s kind of a pit stop.”
Gang activity within Charlotte contributes significantly to the trafficking problem, with organized criminal networks maintaining control over the area’s operations, experts confirm.
“The Bloods have a huge stronghold in human trafficking,” Braun said.
“They’re one of the primary organized crime groups responsible for trafficking [in Charlotte]. For the most part, these are criminal networks. And that also makes it tougher, because of the kind of resources that they have and the ability to traffic people around, hide them in places and really stay undetected.”
While numerous victims originate from outside the state, Arrowood stresses that many individuals being trafficked come from within the Charlotte area, with perpetrators specifically targeting school-aged children.
