TAMPA — A Hillsborough County program that connects human trafficking victims who are facing legal charges to various support services such as counseling, case management, shelter, health care and immigration assistance is no longer available.

The goal of the specialized court was to intervene and stop further trafficking exploitation.

It helped people such as Kim Figueroa, a survivor of both child and adult sex trafficking.

“I was trafficked for roughly six years as an adult across the states. I was a federal case," she said. "There is a lot of trauma with that."

After extensive work to recover from her past, Figueroa connected with the anti-trafficking group ‘More Too Life’,  where she serves as a mentor. 

“Now it is my pleasure to jump back in the fire to help other victims,“ said Figueroa.

Many of the cases she managed were through Hillsborough County’s human trafficking court, also known as the juvenile option court.

It was held once a month and included a specifically appointed judge, prosecutors and specially trained personnel to support victims.

According to a 13th Judicial Circuit Administrative Order, the program is being canceled after nearly four years.

The order says “it is necessary for the efficient and effective usage of judicial resources.”

“I went through the foster care system, DJJ system. I know if there was an options court when I was being trafficked that would have helped me,” Figueroa said.

Florida is ranked as the third highest state for human trafficking cases and second for labor trafficking cases by the Florida Alliance to End Human Trafficking.

In 2021, over 230 cases of human trafficking were reported in the Tampa Bay area.

Half of all human trafficking victims in Florida are minors, according to Florida Health.

Per the National Human Trafficking Hotline, 734 human trafficking cases involved women, 125 cases involved men, and three cases involved gender minorities in 2019.

“We see more of the domestic minor sex trafficking in the state of Florida," Figueroa said.

Dawn Sakes, the executive director of More to Life, said she’s worried about the impact removing this court will have.

“We are not getting as many referrals, so these children may not be receiving services,” said Sakes.

There are three types of human trafficking her organization handles, including sex trafficking, forced labor and the most difficult to spot — domestic servitude.

Sakes says connecting victims with mentors immediately can increase the success rate of prosecuting these types of cases.

Figueroa said that’s only the beginning.

“A lot of people like to think they are rescued, not realizing this is a lifelong journey of healing. This takes years. This gives an opportunity to heal and flourish into who we were meant to be,” she said.