LISAMARIE: A Story of Resilience and Redemption
Lisamarie, a resilient but troubled young girl must face the demons of her past and navigate the dangerous world of sex trafficking after making a series of bad decisions, threatening everything she has worked hard to build in her new life. Coming soon. Check out our site to learn about the film
Joanne Southerland, an advocate for victims of human trafficking from the Clayton County Fire and Emergency Services, discusses the impact of forced labor and sex trafficking at a meeting Thursday in Henry County.
PHOTO: LEON STAFFORD
June 15, 2018
District Attorney Tracy Graham Lawson is getting some help to make sure Clayton County doesn’t become a hub for human trafficking.
The Clayton County Commission recently gave Lawson’s office a $300,000 bump so she can hire staff to focus on those types of crimes — a potential problem, she said, with Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in her backyard. The FBI has identified the world’s busiest airport as a hot-spot for the sex trafficking of children.
"The johns fly in from other states to hook up with the kids," Lawson said. "The airport is key for that. It's also key for some young people being brought through, whether internationally or from another state."
Meanwhile, next door, the Henry County Commission opened its doors for a first-ever town hall on Thursday to address concerns about human trafficking and help residents understand whether it is a problem in the south metro community.
Henry County Police Detective Henry Rotella told attendees at the town hall that the department had no active reports of human trafficking, but said that doesn’t mean trafficking is not taking place. He said the department needs the community’s eyes and ears to look for signs.
In the past year, Lawson’s office has successfully prosecuted two traffickers. Gary Darrell Ferrell and Corey Ashe were convicted in August 2017 and December 2017, respectively, for trafficking underage women in Clayton County. In each case, the men convinced young, homeless girls that they could take care of them before turning them into prostitutes.