Front row left: Children’s Justice Centers of Hawaiʻi Statewide Director Jasmine Mau-Mukai, Maui Forensic Interview Specialist Deashia Chang, State Rep. Linda Ichiyama, Kauaʻi Children’s Justice Center Director Karla Huerta, Oʻahu Children’s Justice Center Director Bethany Stetson, East Hawaiʻi Children’s Justice Center Director Terri Lum, Oʻahu Forensic Interview Specialist Valerie Diaz, and National Criminal Justice Training Center (NCJTC) faculty member Byron Fassett. Back row left: Maui Children’s Justice Center Director Jackie Cockett, NCJTC faculty member Richard Love, NCJTC Executive Director Brad Russ, Kauaʻi Forensic Interview Specialist Kelcie Morita, West Hawaiʻi Children’s Justice Center Director David Okumura, East Hawaiʻi Forensic Interview Specialist Nikkole Drake-Clark.
The Hawaiʻi Children’s Justice Centers (CJCs), in collaboration with the Hawaiʻi Children’s Justice Act Grant Task Force, hosted a Child Sex Trafficking Roundtable in Honolulu from July 12 – 13. State Rep. Linda Ichiyama provided welcome remarks to the five teams from across the state who attended the Roundtable, which was facilitated by the National Criminal Justice Training Center (NCJTC).
The NCJTC has assisted Hawaiʻi with important ongoing training and technical assistance for several years. The goal is to enhance the state’s Child Sex Trafficking Multi-Disciplinary Team response to children who are at risk or identified as victims of sex trafficking. The Multi-Disciplinary Team is comprised of specialists from law enforcement, child welfare services, county prosecutors, victim advocates, mental health clinicians, the CJC.
The issue of child trafficking recently gained heightened attention following the July 4 release of the movie “Sound of Freedom,” based on a true story of young children kidnapped in the United States and exploited in another country.
According to National Children’s Alliance* Chief Executive Officer Teresa Huizar, the majority of child trafficking victims are adolescents or teens. Many are high-risk youth, who have prior experiences of abuse, including sexual harm. They may be involved the foster care system and have run-away histories.
* The not-for-profit National Children’s Alliance (NCA) is the accrediting body for Children’s Advocacy Centers (CACs) across the U.S. It ensures that all children served by CACs receive consistent, evidence-based services that help them heal from abuse. The Hawai‘i Children’s Justice Program is an accredited member of the NCA, which is comprised of more than 950 children’s advocacy/justice centers nationwide.
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