January 21, 2021

Decatur, Ga.- In commemoration of National Slavery & Human Trafficking Prevention Month, DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston is hosting a virtual community forum, Human Trafficking & Our Youth: Focusing On Our Most Vulnerable Victims, to raise awareness about this critical issue. The event will be held via Zoom on Wednesday, January 27, 2021, 12:30-1:30 p.m.

The program will feature a presentation by Courtney Desilet, Instructor, Spector Criminal Justice Training Network. Desilet currently serves on a National Child Sex Trafficking Recovery Services Team and is a retired sworn Law Enforcement Investigator in Connecticut. During her time in law enforcement she served as her department’s Human Trafficking Liaison. Desilet has also served on the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and has been published by Homeland Security Today.

The presentation will focus on the signs and risks of child sex trafficking, and will be appropriate for parents, students (ages 11-18+), and the community-at-large. The event is free and open to the public. Interested attendees must register in advance to receive a link to the forum. To register, visit: https://dekalbcountyga.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_uMrS06iOQYKBgAdaiO19MA.

In 2019, Georgia had the sixth highest number of human trafficking cases in the nation, according to statistics from the National Human Trafficking Hotline. DA Boston is hoping this event raises awareness and inspires action to eradicate this growing epidemic.

The forum will be hosted in partnership with Atlanta Girls’ School and the Decatur Prevention Initiative.