Orange County campaign aims to raise human-trafficking awareness

ORANGE COUNTY, Calif. (KABC) -- Human trafficking is a growing problem in Orange County. Now there's a campaign to stop the crime before there's another victim. Human trafficking has doubled in Orange County between 2011 and 2013. County leaders want to stop this troubling trend by making the public aware of it with ads on local buses.

"I was 11 when I entered the trafficking world," said a 19-year-old former victim who only wants to be identified as "Oree."

Despite repeated beatings, Oree got away a few years ago, but she remembers that it wasn't easy.

"I rode the bus in the back of the bus and there was a pimp. I sat back there with my pimp, and everyone on the bus paying no attention to me," said Oree. "I was just another girl, probably, in skimpy clothing that, 'She's a runaway, she's a lost child.'"

A new campaign called "Be The One" is meant to help victims like Oree. The message is plastered on Orange County Transportation Authority buses.

"We transport through these buses 1 million people a week here in Orange County. That is 2 million more eyes," said OCTA Director Todd Spitzer.

OCTA bus drivers are being trained to watch for possible victims of human trafficking.

"If you're coming up to a stop, you see a young lady there and then come back again, you see the young lady still there," said OCTA coach operator Ray Lugo.

Bus drivers can alert authorities. Several cameras on board are also watching.

"Contrary to the image that most people have when they think of human trafficking, the victims rescued in Orange County are U.S. citizens," said Lita Mercado, director of Community Service Programs Inc. in Santa Ana.

A new report on human trafficking finds the perpetrators' average age is 20-29.

According to the report, on average eight new victims of human trafficking are identified each month in Orange County. Nearly half are teens or children.

More agencies are joining together to focus on fighting the modern-day slavery.

"The task force has conducted over 750 human-trafficking investigations, identified 90 victims of human trafficking, and have made over 350 arrests," said Anaheim Police Chief Raul Quezada.

Just last week-police arrested three people suspected in the torture and human-trafficking of a 26-year-old woman.

"It's around you and you can do something about it," said Oree.