EASTLAKE, Ohio — Carolyn Kinkoph recalls what she misses most about her daughter, Courtney. 

“Her hugs, she gave the best hugs. When she hugged you, you knew she loved you,” she said.

The 29-year-old died in February 2022 after becoming a victim of human trafficking. Carolyn explained how it started.  

What You Need To Know

  • January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month

  • Many Ohioans and people across the nation are affected by human trafficking

  • Carolyn Kinkoph, an Eastlake resident, lost her daughter to human trafficking

  • Kinkoph helped start a nonprofit organization that helps educate people on this issue

“Around 2015, our daughter Courtney was first hospitalized at a local hospital for a mental health condition, she met her trafficker there,” she said. 

From there, Kinkoph said she and her husband began to notice changes in their daughter.

“We quickly saw a decline in her appearance, her behavior, she had increased substance use. Increased hospitalizations and we didn’t recognize that the person who was pretending to be her friend was actually a trafficker,” she said.

January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month. The Northeast Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force covers Cuyahoga, Lake, Ashtabula, and Geauga counties. From August 2022 to September 2023, it reported 90 arrests, 48 rescued or recovered victims, and 34 indictments. Larry Henderhan is the task force director and explained what all human trafficking encompasses.  

“When someone is induced into involuntary servitude, which is domestic servitude, working as a house maid, nanny, or labor trafficking where someone has a job and they’re being subjected to, you know, labor trafficking against their will, are also compelled to engage in commercial sex acts and that can be done through fraud, coercion or force,” Henderhan said.

Like many other victims, Courtney was trafficked across the state and the country. Eastlake Chief of Police Larry Reik had run-ins with her when she was being trafficked. He understands the importance of law enforcement knowing the signs of human trafficking.

“A lot of it on our end is the education and re-education to make sure that we keep things top of mind,” he said.

Kinkoph has since turned her pain into passion by co-founding the nonprofit organization Alliance Against Human Trafficking, which helps educate law enforcement. Carolyn’s husband and Courtney’s father, Tom Kinkoph, hopes people continue to learn more.

“Let’s start doing some hard work, that’s what I would ask,” he said.

For the Kinkophs, Human Trafficking Awareness Month is an opportunity to highlight a struggle they deal with eery day. 

“My grief isn’t just this month. My grief has been every month since this happened,” Tom Kinkoph said.

If you suspect human trafficking, call the Northeast Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force’s tip line at (216) 443-6085. The national hotline is (888) 373-7888.