HELENA — Human trafficking and online exploitation are growing problems in Montana.
The Montana Department of Justice recently rolled out a new curriculum to combat these issues through education and awareness.
Smartphone use is becoming more prevalent among kids. The nonprofit research organization Common Sense Media reports 43% of kids ages 8 to 12 have smartphones. That number jumps to 88% to 95% in kids ages 13 to 18.
According to law enforcement officials, increasing access to smartphones among kids increases the possible victim pool for predators
“Right now, there’s likely kids being exploited in Helena as we speak,” Helena Police Department Detective Sgt. Adam Shanks said.
Shanks says the Helena Police Department deals with online exploitation of minors on an almost daily basis. Some perpetrators are local, others have been tracked down as far away as the United Kingdom.
“One thing we’re seeing locally right now is catfishing, and sometimes it’s not even catfishing, sometimes it’s just online adults that are meeting underage boys or girls and getting them to send images or other things,” Shanks said. “We’ve seen where kids are extorted once they send something.”
In his role as detective sergeant, Shanks said he was usually working seven to 10 cases at a time. These cases can have devastating consequences.
“We have seen a suicide because of this,” Shanks said.
There are numerous online platforms that predators use to find and talk to victims.
The most common ones Shanks sees among teenage victims are Snapchat and Discord, but he also said he’s seen predators contact victims through Instagram, Facebook Messenger, Robolox and Minecraft.
“If there’s an ability for people to go out and communicate with others in a chatroom-based environment, we will find exploitation,” Shanks said.
This communication through online messaging and chatrooms can also make teens vulnerable to human trafficking situations.
“They’re the ones who are on social media the most, they’re the ones who are on the Internet the most, they’re playing online video games the most—that’s where a ton of these human traffickers get their first contact with prospective victims,” Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen said.
In Montana, numbers show that human trafficking is on the rise. In 2015, the Montana Department of Justice had seven human trafficking investigations, in 2023, that number rose to almost 150 investigations.
To combat the problem and raise awareness, the Montana DOJ recently developed and released a course about human trafficking and online exploitation.
The course is designed to reach middle schoolers and teens — age groups that are vulnerable to traffickers and online exploitation. The curriculum includes both a long and short version of a video about trafficking and online exploitation, and talking points.
Knudsen said it’s important to raise awareness among both young people and adults because human trafficking doesn’t always appear the way it is portrayed in movies and television shows.
“It is very rarely an out-and-out kidnapping situation like you see in the movies,” Knudsen said. “It’s usually much more psychological and much more manipulative.”
Shanks suggests that parents understand what apps their children are using, and the features of those apps. He said some apps, like Snapchat, have ways to hide photos and communications.
“One thing I think parents should do is really know what their kids are doing online,” Shanks said.
Knudsen said it’s also important for adults and children to know the signs of online exploitation and human trafficking.
“It’s difficult, it’s hard subject matter, but it’s extremely important,” Knudsen said. “It’s an extremely dangerous situation we’ve got going on here.”
The Montana DOJ’s human trafficking and online exploitation awareness curriculum and other resources are available online. If you suspect a trafficking situation, call local law enforcement or 1-833-406-STOP.
