Hetty Chang reporting
It's an illegal trade of sex and labor happening right in our own backyard. Las Vegas is among the top destinations in the world for human trafficking. That's why local leaders are joining law enforcement to shed light on the growing problem.
It's an issue one ethnic group in particular is addressing head on. The Asian community has made this a top priority.
One of the main reasons trafficking is so difficult to stop is that victims fear for their lives. Imagine being so terrified of what could happen that even if help comes you refuse to take it.
That's the untold story of victims of human trafficking; many of them brought to the United States from Asian countries.
It's an underground industry which is growing faster than any other crime in the world. It's not a question of what's being traded but who - many are women and children sold for labor and sex.
"He would beat me with broomsticks, candles. He would burn me with candles, take metal hangers, belts, anything that he could get his hands on he would beat me with."
"Kelly" was rescued in large part because she was wiling and able to talk about her abuse. However, there are thousands more victims who can't speak out.
"A lot of the women that are here, brought to the US, may not have English (ability) and because they're so isolated they don't have the opportunity to learn the language," explains Kathleen Bergquist, co-director of the National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum. "And it's not just language; it's also cultural barriers that exist."
Bergquist is one of many Asian leaders shedding light on a global issue happening in Las Vegas. "... in the Asian community, we know there are a lot of women trafficked into Las Vegas... (the) FBI is working really hard but it's really hard for them to get victims to self identify as victims."
Berquist says that in many cases victims brought in from Asian countries bring their cultural beliefs with them.
"A lot of the women that are trafficked from the country of origin they're coming from, there's this sort of distrust of law enforcement in general. Then that's translated here. (It's) also made worse by traffickers telling them you can't trust law enforcement, you're going to get arrested; you're going to get deported. All those things.
Because victims from Asian countries are so underreported, the perception is that help is not needed. But studies in other areas such as domestic violence show that violence occurs at the same rate, if not higher, in Asian communities compared to other communities.
The United Nations estimates human trafficking is worth $32 billion worldwide. Nevada does have one of the toughest anti-human trafficking laws in the nation. A person convicted of trafficking a victim younger than 14 could face a $500,000 fine.
