COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio is among the top five states in the nation with high human trafficking rates, and lawmakers at the Ohio Statehouse are trying to reduce this kind of crime.

What You Need To Know

  • Ohio is among the top five states in the nation with high human trafficking rates

  • The goal of the proposal is to help get criminal records expunged for trafficking survivors

  • Victims will need to submit an application properly, and then proceed to have a hearing before a court judge in order to qualify for expungement

To help victims, State Rep. Tracy Richardson and joint sponsor State Rep. Josh Williams have introduced the Expanding Human Trafficking Justice Act.

The goal of the proposal is to help get criminal records expunged for trafficking survivors in the Buckeye State. Often, background checks could impact the status of housing and receiving a job. Annette Mango is a human trafficking survivor, and has been working to get her life back. Although she escaped human trafficking over eight years ago, her past haunts her until this day. 

“They practically said I was a menace to society,” said Mango."Even though I was already being victimized by everybody else." 

Mango says as a survivor, the last conversation she wants to carry on is to talk about her past. 

“I went to these places and most of these places said, ‘hey, you know, we don’t want you working here. And I said, why? They say a felon doesn’t do a good job. They say a felon doesn’t come to work.’ And that hit me hard,” Mango said. 

Mango's life transformed after her record was expunged, granting her access to housing and employment opportunities. Under Ohio law, a criminal record can only be expunged if a survivor has been convicted of soliciting, loitering, or prostitution. However, the proposal introduced this week looks to expand those options and make it so more trafficking victims can get their records expunged. 

“This bill seeks to expand the offenses eligible for record expungement to include felonies of the fourth and fifth degrees and misdemeanors,” said State Rep. Tracy Richardson, (R-Marysville.) “Meaning, more survivors will be eligible for expungement if they can prove they were victimized.”

Victims will need to submit an application properly, and then proceed to have a hearing before a court judge in order to qualify for expungement. 

“We have to remember, human trafficking is two different types of victimization,” said Samantha Salamon, Manager of the Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault Department for Asian Services in Action. “So, what this bill offers is an opportunity to expand the type of charges and criminal convictions an individual can have, but they can get expunged.” 

Richardson said survivors could be charged with unfair excessive crimes they were forced to commit by their trafficker. A companion bill has been introduced in the Ohio Senate. State lawmakers are also working on other ways to target the human trafficking issue in the buckeye state. 

“We care about ending the scourge of human trafficking and also providing a path forward for victims and survivors who are counting on our support,” Richardson said.