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950% Increase in Child Sex Trafficking

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children reported an alarming increase in child sex trafficking and online child sex exploitation in 2025.

Child Sex Trafficking: Reports surged by 950% in 2025 (from approximately 6,000 to over 62,000 reports). The NCMEC also reported that in 2025 online platforms submitted 98,489 reports related to child sex trafficking. A huge increase from 8,480 in 2023. NCMEC emphasizes that these numbers represent real children experiencing harm and calls for increased awareness and action from parents, caregivers, and technology companies.

Online Crimes Against Children (CyberTipline 2025 Reports) include the following:

  • AI-Generated Abuse: Reports ofgenerative artificial intelligence (GAI) related to child sexual exploitation soared from 6,835 reports to over 440,000, representing a 6,341% increase.
  • Online Enticement: Reports jumped from 292,951 to over 518,000, a 77% increase.
  • The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children also reported a frightening surge in sextortion cases in 2025.
  • Financial Sextortion: Cases rose nearly 70% (from approximately 13,800 to 23,600 reports).

The NAHT website has a series of 10 brochures and flyers with information on trafficking and child exploitation. We have now added a new brochure on child sextortion. If you would like to download and print a copy, please tap here.

Update on 2026 Iowa Human Trafficking Legislation

Courtesy of Advocacy Strategies

Legislative Update: Funnel Deadline Passed, Key Priorities Remain in Play

The Iowa Legislature has reached its first major deadline of the 2026 session. The first funnel deadline on February 20 marked an important milestone, determining which policy bills remain eligible for consideration this year. As of February 27, the General Assembly has completed seven weeks of session, with the second funnel deadline scheduled for March 20. The bills listed below have successfully advanced and remain under active consideration.

As the Legislature shifts its focus, budget and appropriation discussions will begin in earnest following the March 12 Revenue Estimating Conference update. Appropriations bills are exempt from funnel deadlines and may be considered through the end of session, currently scheduled for April 21.

A top priority for the Network Against Human Trafficking (NAHT) this year is securing a $1 million state investment in survivor services. Currently, eight nonprofit providers across Iowa operate residential programs specifically designed to meet the unique and complex needs of human trafficking survivors. NAHT is advocating for dedicated funding within the Justice Systems budget to strengthen and sustain these critical services. Initial budget drafts are expected in late March.

Top Priorities

HF 1036 (Comprehensive HT Bill): (Support) A comprehensive modernization of Iowa’s human trafficking laws that strengthen victim identification, expands survivor protections, improves access to justice, enhances coordination across systems, and builds capacity for survivor-centered services and accountability. The amended bill reflects national best practices and directly advances NAHT’s mission to prevent trafficking, protect victims, and promote survivor recovery and justice.

  • 2025 Session: House passed the bill unanimously
  • 2026 Session: Bill passed out of Senate Judiciary Committee, with an amendment. It will need to pass the Senate chamber and return to the House if amended before being signed into law.
  • The bill is eligible through the end of this session.

SF 2205/HF 2602 (Massage Establishment Licensures): (Support) The bill creates a licensure requirement for massage establishments and establishes penalties. NAHT is working in collaboration with the Iowa Massage Therapy Association in response to the challenge of shutting down illicit practices that occur in establishments disguised as legitimate massage therapy facilities.

  • 2026 Session: Bill passed out of both Senate and House Judiciary Committees. It still needs to pass both chambers before being signed into law.
Secure $1 Million Appropriation for Human Trafficking Victim Service Fund
  • The AG’s office and the Governor have requested the $1M in funding in their FY27 budgets.
  • The budget process will start in earnest towards the end of March after budget targets are announced. In the meantime, we continue to have conversations with legislators about this request.
Other Issues

HF 2144 (Record Expungement): (Support) Relates to expungement of certain criminal history records of victims of human trafficking.

  • 2026 Session: Bill passed out of House Judiciary Committee unanimously. It needs to pass the House and go through the entire process in the Senate.

SF 2167/HF 2598 (Training for Truck-drivers): (Support) Relates to human trafficking prevention training for persons applying for certain commercial driver’s licenses.

  • 2026 Session: Passed out of full committee in both chambers and has been placed on the calendar in the Senate and House.

HSB 570 /SF 2379 (Attorney General Bill): Would enact “Katie’s law,” which would require DNA collection from individuals arrested for aggravated misdemeanors and felonies. It also deals with the confidentiality of victim services and liability, protection orders, sex offender registrations, crime victim compensation program, and more.

  • 2026 Session: Passed out of full committee in both chambers and has been placed on the calendar in the Senate and House.

Iowa College Settles Human Trafficking Labor Case as Costs Near $8 million

Western Iowa Tech Community College has agreed to pay a $2.5 million to settle a third lawsuit over its discontinued J-1 visa program, closing out a series of human trafficking allegations that it exploited international students as cheap labor in local factories, such as dog food manufacturers. These three lawsuits have now cost the Sioux City Community College nearly $8 million in settlements.

The new settlement, approved by the college’s board of directors, involves 21 former international students who were part of the program.

U.S. Justice Department Slashes Funding to Programs Combatting Child Sex Trafficking

The U.S. Department of Justice has slashed funding and training resources for law enforcement working on investigations and prosecutions of sex crimes against children, which limits their ability to carry out this work.

The sweeping cuts are putting vulnerable children at risk and impeding efforts to bring child predators to justice, according to four prosecutors and law enforcement officers specializing in cases of child sexual exploitation, speaking on the condition of anonymity. “You don’t want to speak too loudly, because you just fear retaliation, and that’s a heavy hand to be dealt when you’re just trying to do your job,” one prosecutor said.

Previous investigative reports have revealed that the administration has aggressively rolled back efforts to combat human trafficking, including sex trafficking, and cut funding to support survivors of these crimes. Federal prosecutors are now operating under new “austerity” measures, put into place by the justice department, creating roadblocks to prosecuting alleged child predators, sources said.

“We need to justify all travel for training, trial preparation, and meeting with victims. We need to justify why it’s ”core mission,” and the answer is almost always “no,” said one federal prosecutor who specializes in crimes against children.

The 2025 National Law Enforcement Training Conference on Child Exploitation was axed without explanation, law enforcement sources said. An announcement on a law enforcement association website states: “This event has NOT received US DOJ approval.”

“It hurts on a lot of levels,” said one officer with the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) taskforce, a national network of law enforcement agencies dedicated to combating online child exploitation. “If you’re not getting the training, it impacts the investigations, especially for new investigators.”

Attendance is critical for investigators to keep up with the fast pace of developments and software for obtaining and analyzing digital and forensic evidence, and other investigative techniques. Child predators are increasingly using AI applications to groom and target children and other new platforms that law enforcement agents need to be regularly trained on, said those interviewed.

“If your jurisdiction gets hit with one of these cases, what do you do? These conferences teach you. They also provide contacts: I meet instructors who’ve handled these cases before, who can maybe talk me through the investigation,” said a state prosecutor. “Not having the conference really hinders our ability to kind of address new challenges as they come in.”

Historically, the Justice Department meets with the commanders of the 61 ICAC taskforces and the National Center of Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), and some tech companies meet three times each year to discuss cases of crimes against children. Yet these meetings have also been halted.

“These meetings facilitate the flow of information so that all of us can have discussions around what’s going on in this space of work and how each of us can benefit from working together more efficiently to protect kids,” said one officer who is a member of ICAC.

ICAC divisions have also been hit by the non-payment of annual grants made to them by the Justice Department, which are usually awarded each October. This has left ICAC investigators without funding for critical personnel, software, hardware, and other tools needed to investigate child exploitation.

Anti-trafficking advocates across the political spectrum praised many aspects of President Trump’s first administration’s work on these issues. Since his re-election, however, President Trump and his appointees have shifted course. This had drawn bipartisan criticism.

“Many law enforcement officers felt like this administration would be pro-law enforcement, and that trafficking investigations would be seen as important,” said a prosecutor.

1,800 Plaintiffs in 2026 Social Media Addiction Trials

As a young teenager, KGM would spend “every waking hour” scrolling through social media. She felt incapable of stopping, even though her feeds were full of content that distressed her—sexual harassment from older men, bullying from peers, hateful comments from strangers, content promoting self-harm or restrictive eating…

This content was destroying KGM’s mental health, even fueling suicidal thoughts. Yet the young girl clung to her phone like a lifeline. KGM’s sister explained, “Whenever my mom would take her phone away … she would have a meltdown like someone had died.”

“I wish I never downloaded it,” KGM declared. “I wish I never got it in the first place.”

This is the harrowing and, unfortunately, all too common story of one of the plaintiffs in the 2026 Social Media Addiction Trials. These trials are a combination of suits from over 1,800 plaintiffs, including families, school districts, and local and state governments and AGs. All allege that Big Tech companies deliberately designed their products to addict children, while knowing full well the scale of harm this caused to their mental health.

For the first time, the CEOs and top executives of these companies will need to stand in court and answer for what their products have done to children. Mark Zuckerberg himself is set to testify.

NAHT Congratulates IBAT on its 4th Year Anniversary

The NAHT wishes to recognize and congratulate Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate on the occasion of the 4th anniversary of Iowa Businesses Against Trafficking (IBAT). The Secretary of State has made a huge contribution to increased awareness of the problem of human trafficking. During the past four years, IBAT has grown into a strong statewide network of nearly 1,000 Iowa businesses across 96 counties. All of these businesses have committed to raising awareness, taking action, and building communities safe from traffickers.

Through shared education and practical tools, IBAT members are better equipped to recognize the warning signs and to respond appropriately. The NAHT is impressed with the impact that the IBAT network of businesses has done to fight trafficking in Iowa.

Iowa Human Trafficking Prevention Zoom Learning Event on Sunday, March 29

2026 Outstanding Human Trafficking Service Award Honorees

On January 22, 2026 on the Rotunda of the State Capitol Building, Governor Kim Reynolds and the NAHT presented the 2026 Outstanding Human Trafficking Service Awards. Pictured with each awardee is the Iowa Lieutenant Governor Chris Cournoyer (right side of each awardee) and NAHT Vice Chair Teresa Davidson (left side of each awardee).

 Allie Riches – Dubuque

Teachers often wonder whether their students are listening to anything they say. Allie Riches, however, was REALLY listening in Kim Hilby’s course on human trafficking at the University of Dubuque. After taking that class, Allie became a leader in the fight against human trafficking not only on campus but also as the youngest member of the Tri-State Coalition Against Human Trafficking. Riches won the Criminal Justice Student of the Year award and was chosen by the University of Dubuque as the one 2025 graduate to be highlighted in a feature story in the Dubuque Telegraph-Herald. She advocated for proclamations designating January as Human Trafficking Awareness and Prevention Month in five cities and three counties, made presentations to hundreds of junior and senior high students about human trafficking and online safety, helped train local police and fire departments to identify signs of human trafficking, and represented the Tri-State Coalition at a national conference in Baltimore.

A letter from the Tri-State coalition supporting Allie’s nomination states: “As a younger person, [Allie] has been able to connect with students more effectively than we can, and her knowledge of the current and developing technologies – and the dangers they bring – enable her to share experiences from her peer group that illustrate the lure of on-line entrapment and the need for vigilance to all forms of trafficking by persons of all ages. If only we could clone Allie and her dedication, knowledge, and ability to connect with multiple generations – from grandparents to middle-schoolers! As we age, we cheer her willingness to become a leader and to invite more of her generation to join the struggle.”

Sara Kellums – Davenport

Sara Kellums is a human trafficking survivor advocate with Braking Traffik in Davenport. Her nomination letter states: “Sara is a survivor of human trafficking who has transformed the pain of her past into a powerful testimony of hope and service. While many in her position would long to put their trauma behind them, Sara has chosen instead to use her experience to protect others from exploitation and to walk alongside survivors on their journey toward healing.

After escaping trafficking, Sara attended college in St. Louis, where she devoted herself to mentoring and supporting inner-city youth—many of whom faced similar vulnerabilities that traffickers exploit. She later traveled to Thailand to counsel exploited women, offering emotional support and spiritual encouragement to those rebuilding their lives. Upon returning to the United States, Sara completed a restoration program through the Chicago Dream Center, then was hired by the Center as a staff member, where she helped other women experience the same freedom and healing she had found.

Today, Sara serves as an advocate with Braking Traffic, where she continues to pour her life into helping others. She leads a support group for incarcerated women, works with at-risk youth, and provides awareness and prevention education throughout her community. Her impact is not only life-changing– it is life-saving. Sara’s story is one of redemption, resilience, and relentless compassion. From victim to advocate, she embodies the very essence of service and leadership.

Doll Distributing – Des Moines

Here’s what Secretary of State Paul Pate had to say about this exceptional participant in the IBAT (Iowa Businesses Against Trafficking) program: They’ve transformed the traditional business model by weaving anti-trafficking awareness into their daily operations and company culture. They put the Human Trafficking Hotline number and IBAT logo on delivery trucks, turning their fleet into mobile awareness campaigns across lowa.

Their creative approach extends to providing custom coasters featuring the IBAT logo to their clients, sparking important conversations about this serious crime occurring in our communities. They regularly send staff trivia surveys about human trafficking awareness, combining education with engagement by offering prizes and drawings. This approach ensures their team stays informed while encouraging them to carry this knowledge into their personal lives and communities.

During Human Trafficking Awareness Month, they invested in billboard campaigns throughout downtown Des Moines. [Company owner] Lauren Dolls has represented the company alongside [the Secretary of State’s team] when hosting international delegates studying lowa’s anti-trafficking initiatives. Doll Distributing represents the best of what IBAT stands for: businesses that don’t just sign up but actively work to protect vulnerable people in our state. Their leadership demonstrates that fighting human trafficking isn’t just the responsibility of law enforcement or nonprofits; it’s something every lowa business can and should embrace. Accepting the award was Kelle Molloy, Director of Marketing for Doll Distributing.

Project LIVE – Omaha and Des Moines

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if human trafficking could be prevented? But what would an effective prevention program look like, especially one for young people? That’s the goal of Project LIVE, a joint effort by three partners: academic researchers at the University of Nebraska and the University of Michigan, plus Omaha-based anti-trafficking nonprofit The Set Me Free Project, and the Des Moines Public schools.

Using a five-year grant from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Project LIVE is currently delivering a human trafficking curriculum in the Des Moines high schools with the goal of finding out what works in school-based human trafficking prevention. The Ready to Stand prevention curriculum, developed by The Set Me Free Project, is already in use in almost 400 schools in Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota. Researchers are using student surveys to determine whether participation in Ready to Stand reduces child sex trafficking, teen dating violence, and sexual assault. The means to this end is raising awareness among students, faculty, and staff that sex trafficking can happen anywhere. The program will then be fine-tuned so that it can be used not only in this region but throughout the country. Accepting the award were Stephanie Olson of the Set Me Free Project and Jennifer Stalder of the Des Moines Public ..

Nicole Leonard & Molly Edwards – Des Moines and Cedar Rapids

In 2023, the Iowa Legislature passed HF 630, making trafficking of a minor a class A felony with a penalty of life in prison with no possibility of parole. In Linn County in 2025, the first charges for trafficking a minor under this new law were filed against Jarod Earl Anderson. Assistant [Linn] County Attorney Molly Edwards and Assistant Attorney General Nicole Leonard prosecuted Anderson, resulting in a conviction and a sentence of life in prison. Here’s what the lawyers who work for them had to say about their work in this case.

Linn County Attorney Nicholas Maybanks wrote, “Molly dedicated countless hours preparing to file the charges in this case and then to bring it to trial. Her work was nothing less than ground-breaking. Molly’s work in this case has now provided a successful blueprint for future prosecutions.”

Keisha Cretsinger, Chief of Statewide Prosecution for the AG’s office, wrote, “When Nikki was asked to assist on the human trafficking prosecution in Linn County, she did not hesitate. The hours, weeks, and months it takes to present a case like this can take their toll. There were many sleepless nights, weekends, and holidays spent making sure the case was ready. But Nikki will always give her all to seek justice for child victims. Nikki and the entire prosecution team stood with the child victim in this case, fighting to make sure her voice was heard and that her abuser would never be able to hurt anyone ever again.”

And finally, Teresa Davidson wrote, “The prosecution of child trafficking cases is uniquely challenging. It requires prosecutors who can balance legal rigor with compassion, who can build trust with deeply traumatized victims, and who can navigate the most harrowing details of human exploitation without losing sight of the humanity of those they serve. Ms. Leonard and Ms. Edwards exemplified these qualities at every stage of the process. Their dedication brought safety, closure, and hope not only to the young victim in this case, but to countless other vulnerable youth whose futures will be safer because of the precedent they set.”

Nicole Leonard and Molly Edwards are shown accepting their awards.

TV News Clips & Articles

By on March 2, 2026   /   News