---

Two recent news articles have highlighted the sad state of human trafficking in Ohio.  A recent study by the Polaris Project named Ohio one of the “dirty dozen” when it comes to lax sex trafficking laws.  Other states included Hawaii, Massachusetts, South Dakota, West Virginia, Wyoming, Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, South Carolina, Oregon and Virginia.

A few days later the Columbus Dispatch posted an article about human trafficking in nail salons throughout Ohio.  Kevin Miller, executive director of the Ohio Board of Cosmetology spoke of the problem in a meeting of the Ohio Trafficking in Persons Study Commission.

He told the commission that immigrants from Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and other Southeast Asian countries, often brought illegally to the U.S. for a price, are given “laundered” false identities, including fake high-school diplomas, driver’s licenses, immigration papers and other documents.

The employee then becomes an “indentured servant,” working for the employer for two years for little or sometimes no money to pay off their debt. Often, the employees are required to live on the premises. The agency documented one case where 16 licensees lived at the same address.

Next time you go to get a mani and pedi, make sure you pay attention to your surroundings and preferably, think twice about going to get a cheap manicure.  Now sounds like an excellent time to contact your senator to push for change in Ohio’s laws!

---

---