When Tomas J. Lares came face to face with the grim reality of human trafficking in 2004, he was shocked into action. He channelled his deep sense of justice into the formation of the United Abolitionists, a beacon of hope in Central Florida’s fight against this modern-day form of slavery. Tomas J. Lares, founder and…
I’ve been on the frontlines of the fight against human trafficking in Florida for nearly two decades. In that time, our state has made strides to protect the most vulnerable, but one issue still desperately needs our attention: the use of hotels and motels for trafficking. Human trafficking bill a milestone – but also missing something…
The University of Central Florida is teaming up with the non-profit organization United Abolitionists to train the future leaders of hospitality on how to combat human trafficking. The UCF Rosen College of Hospitality Management will soon start training students on how to identify and report sex and labor trafficking through a series of three internship…
The UCF Rosen College of Hospitality Management in Orlando is teaming up with United Abolitionists, an agency that fights against slavery and exploitation, to train “future leaders of the hospitality industry to combat human trafficking in hospitality, tourism, events, attractions, hotels and on campus.” Last year, UCF established the Center for the Study of Human…
By: Noah Bradon ORLANDO — In 2018, the state of Florida saw the third-highest number of reported cases of human trafficking in the entire country, trailing only portions of California and Texas. The largest concentration of occurrences happened in urban centers, led by Central Florida. In 2016, greater Orlando ranked third in the nation in…
Story originally published by: The Orlando Sentinel Hotel industry vows united front against sex traffickers The nation’s hotel industry association vowed Wednesday to fight widespread sex trafficking on its properties, in part by training every employee on warning signs for the crime and how to respond. The announcement from the American Hotel & Lodging Association…
A human trafficking arrest was made at a Ramada hotel on Jamaican Ct in the tourist district off of International Drive. This is happening more than you might think. “These criminals exploit the opportunity for those who want to buy sex,” said Tomas Lares, co-founder and chairman of the Greater Orlando Human Trafficking Task Force…
For years, Savannah Parvu was sold for sex at hotels in Central Florida. It started when she was 11. Hotel staff knew what was happening, she said, but did nothing. Nurses and doctors in emergency rooms where she was taken with broken bones didn’t ask questions. Her mother went to a drug dealer’s house for…
