Indiana's plan to fight sex trafficking during the Final Four

Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller has launched a campaign to fight sex trafficking during the NCAA Final Four, taking place in Indianapolis this weekend.

The “Indiana’s Not Buying It” campaign includes 35 billboards throughout the state, as well as ads on IndyGo buses. The PSA features Lavoy Allen and Don Walsh from the Indiana Pacers, Matt Hasselbeck from the Indianapolis Colts, and IndyCar driver Ed Carpenter.

“The violent, exploitive sex trade that victimizes far too many children will not end unless we stand up as a society and refuse to tolerate commercial sex,” Zoeller said in a statement released April 1.

The advocacy group Traffick911 created the, “I’m Not Buying it” campaign to raise awareness about human trafficking and rescue victims of domestic minor sex trafficking prior to the 2011 Super Bowl. Indiana is the third state, after Georgia and Arizona, to launch a “Not Buying It” campaign.

Ahead of the Final Four college basketball tournament, the Indiana Protection for Abused and Trafficked Humans Task Force distributed flyers containing victim recovery information aimed at reaching victims with assistance at truck stops, rest areas, taxicab services, restaurants, bars, and other tourism hot spots. The task force also trained area hotel staff members to spot the red flags associated with trafficked victims.

Last year, an analysis of Backpage.com ads in the Louisville, Ky., area revealed the largest spike in adult services classified ads occurred during March Madness, with more than 100 ads per day. When Indianapolis hosted the Super Bowl in 2012, the number of Indiana-specific escort ads on Backpage.com jumped from eight in the December prior to the event to 129 the day before the big game.

Earlier this year, Indiana’s state legislators strengthened the state’s human trafficking laws and provided more support for victims.

“Sex trafficking is a terrible crime and all of us can play a role in seeking it eradicated here in Indiana and beyond,” said Donnie Walsh of the Indiana Pacers.