By Asbury Park Press reporter Dan Radel - It’s a lot closer to home than some may think: Human trafficking, also known as modern-day slavery.

“One of my recent cases was a labor trafficking case where somebody was working at a gas station. He was paid less than minimum wage, working 12- to 15-hour days, seven days a week and forced to live at a certain location,” said Detective Shawn Murphy of the Special Victims Bureau of the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office. Murphy said the person was brought over from Russia.

Murphy said there are victims of human trafficking in every county in New Jersey. “It occurs here in New Jersey. It occurs here in Monmouth County. We’re not immune from it.”

Human trafficking is defined as someone who is held either by force, fraud or coercion in servitude. Victims typically do not have control over their own personal identification documents.

Traffickers can be as clever as using student visas to bring a person into the U.S.

“It’s a horrible reality,” said Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J.

Smith spearheaded the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000, which includes measures for the prevention of trafficking, the prosecution of criminals and protection and assistance to victims of trafficking, both in the U.S. and abroad.

The victims are not just put to work in the commercial sex industry, but can be found in hair and nail salons, domestic service, farms and construction and more.

Prosecuting the cases is difficult because victims aren’t always willing talk.

“They knew in their country the police were on the take so the victim is not always liable to go to the police,” Smith said.

Smith, Murphy, and Assemblywoman Caroline Casagrande, R-Monmouth, spoke about the issues of human trafficking at a program hosted by the American Association of University Woman, Freehold Branch, at the Freehold Senior Center Wednesday.

Lorelle Shea, 23 of Tinton Falls, said she found the information troubling. “When you go into a place of service, you can never really know how well some people are being treated,” she said.

Printed in the Asbury Park Press on April 25, 2014, and can be found online at:

 http://www.app.com/article/20140423/NJNEWS10/304230091/The-reality-slavery-our-communities