Virginia weighs ideas on how to tackle human trafficking in the Commonwealth

Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares says he's focused on combating human trafficking in the Commonwealth after the International Labour Organization reported a new global estimate of 50 million people in modern slavery on Monday.

Prosecutors, school board leaders, police officers and non-profit groups gathered on Tuesday to tell AG Miyares their ideas about how to tackle human trafficking in Virginia.

Virginia had 119 human trafficking cases reported in 2020 according to the Human Trafficking Hotline.

Beginning next January, hotel employees in Virginia will have to complete online training for human trafficking.

On Tuesday, advisors suggested AG Miyares could rework how crimes around human trafficking are prosecuted and arrest buyers of commercial sex rather than sellers.

Other ideas included requiring prosecutors to prove those charged with prostitution are over the age of 18 and building a new unit focused on helping victims and prosecuting traffickers.