The data is insane, and sadly, somewhat unsurprising.

Have you ever wondered just how much human trafficking occurs in Minnesota?

Organizations On High Alert For Child Trafficking In Wake Of Nepal Earthquake
Getty Images
loading...

It's a scary thought. However, this is a reality every state faces.

According to the National Human Trafficking Hotline, in 2016, there were 62 human trafficking cases reported in Minnesota for 2016. What's worse, is that 48 of them were sex trafficking cases. Most of these incidents involved adult females.

These Minnesota statistics were as of December 31, 2016.

I was thinking about the subject after seeing Ashton Kutcher's incredible speech to Congress, which discussed his own organization that's helped many human trafficking victims. Here's how other states look in comparison, according to a recent report on Ashton's website.

aplus.com
aplus.com
loading...

According to CNN, a software called Spotlight has helped a lot. He says, "It's working. In six months, with 25% of our users reporting, we've identified over 6,000 trafficking victims, 2,000 of which are minors. This tool has enhanced 4,000 law enforcement officials in 900 agencies. And we're reducing the investigation time by 60%,"

Through numerous digital efforts, his organization, Thorn: Digital Defenders Of Children has helped 6,000 victims already.

I hope efforts like these continue! Information is essential is trying to prevent these crimes. You can always call The National Human Trafficking Hotline 1-888-373-7888 to report a tip.

More From Quick Country 96.5