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US Senator: Cultural Change Needed To Stop Human Trafficking

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U.S. Sen. Rob Portman says a cultural change is needed to draw attention to the problem of underage victims of sex trafficking.

Portman says that while laws have been updated to reflect the reality of children forced into prostitution, everyone from police to prosecutors to judges to the public need to understand the nature of the crime.

Portman said Thursday after a human trafficking roundtable in Columbus that he hears from constituents who can't believe that underage trafficking is happening in Ohio.

Portman, a Republican who serves as co-chair of the Senate Caucus to End Human Trafficking, heard from community leaders working on the problem.

Portman also planned a visit to a new home run outside of Columbus by Gracehaven, an organization serving underage girls rescued from prostitution.