BATON ROUGE - Human trafficking cases involving children in Louisiana have more than doubled over the past two years, according to state officials, a rise they say reflects improved training, awareness, and victim identification rather than an increase in criminal activity.

State leaders say the increase is largely the result of a stronger focus on recognizing victims and distinguishing human trafficking from other crimes.

Experts say human trafficking is often misunderstood by the general public, making education a critical part of prevention and enforcement efforts.

“When we talk about it, we talk about it in terms of two buckets,” Mary Kate Andrepont with the Office of Human Trafficking Prevention said. “The first is sex trafficking, which involves a commercial sex act. The second one is labor trafficking, which involves labor or services that are exchanged.”

In 2021, Louisiana moved its Human Trafficking Commission and Advisory Board under the Governor’s Office. Officials say the move was designed to centralize law enforcement efforts, improve victim identification, and more clearly separate human trafficking from other sex-related crimes.

“Force, fraud or coercion, that’s the difference,” Andrepont said. “When we look at what is the situation that involves sex trafficking versus prostitution, we’re looking for that element of force, fraud, or coercion.”

When cases involve minors, officials say the distinction becomes clear.

“If a child cannot consent to sexual activity, they surely can’t consent to commercial sexual activity,” Andrepont said.

Because of that, police agencies across the state say they now prioritize protecting children as victims, while aggressively pursuing those responsible for trafficking them.

“Most of the time, people say it’s a victimless crime,” said Zack Evans with the Baton Rouge Police Department. “With prostitution, that may be consenting adults making choices. Human trafficking is nothing like that.”

Data from the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services shows sex trafficking cases involving youth ages 17 and under increased by more than 400 percent between 2017 and 2024, rising from 352 reported cases to more than 1,800.

Officials say the increase coincides with expanded education and training initiatives launched in 2021.

“Since our office was created in 2021, we have made a concerted effort to push education and training,” Andrepont said. “As a result, we’re seeing more victims being identified than ever before.”

Leaders in the Governor’s Office caution against misinterpreting the data, emphasizing that the increase does not necessarily mean more traffickers are operating in Louisiana.

“While it may look like the data is an uptick, the reality is that we’re doing a better job at identifying victims,” Andrepont said.

Law enforcement officials add that victims may not always recognize they are being trafficked, which is why public education and awareness remain key.

“We’re here to look for the people who are being victimized in these vulnerable communities and get them out of it,” Evans said.

Anyone who suspects human trafficking is encouraged to contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline at (888) 373-7888.