Human trafficking incident in Columbia brings light on the fastest growing criminal enterprise in the world
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Human trafficking victim groups are concerned over the lack of knowledge in the Columbia community concerning the fastest growing criminal enterprise in the world.
On Friday night, authorities detained two suspects and are now investigating after a human trafficking operation led to the discovery and rescue of nine victims and two children at the Holiday Inn East Columbia.
Nanette Ward with the Stop Human Trafficking Coalition of Central Missouri described trafficking as, the exploitation of vulnerability. Ward said this involves someone who is taken advantage of for commercial sex or for forced labor for someone else s profit.
TRAVIS McMILLEN is the video producer for the Futures Lab, located on the lower level of the Reynolds Journalism Institute. As video producer, McMillen directs and produces regular and occasional programming from RJI’s own production studio, including KBIA-FM’s Views of the News, Global Journalist and Radio Friends with Paul Pepper. He is a Columbia native who started working at KOMU-TV, the University of Missouri’s NBC affiliate, at the age of 16. At 18 McMillen became the audio operator for Pepper and Friends, a community variety and talk show that aired on KOMU for 27 years. It was a position he held for almost 10 years. Aside from audio, McMillen’s duties on the show included field segment videographer and editor and, from 2001-2007, primary fill-in director. McMillen also directed KOMU’s daily two-hour morning newscast from 2001-2008. He is married to Jennifer, whom he met at KOMU. She currently produces the CW News at Nine for the station. They hav
MEXICO, Mo. - The Audrain County Prosecuting Attorney s Office filed four additional felony charges on April 2 against William Dahl for sexual abuse to a 9-year-old child.
The new charges include first degree sexual trafficking of a child, first degree promoting child pornography, possession of child pornography and sexual exploitation of a minor.
STAT criminal investigators and Missouri State Highway Patrol officers arrested William Dahl on Thursday, Feb. 4, 2021 on suspicion of child sex crimes.Bradley Davis, KOMU 8 Reporter
Dahl previously faced 10 felonies, including kidnapping, child molestation and sodomy charges.Â
The new charges come after a Missouri State Technical Assistance Team (STAT) investigator said Dahl asked for and received multiple sexual explicit pictures of the child from Jennifer Huddleston between March 15, 2018 and January 26, 2021. Huddleston and Dahl are co-defendants in the case. This is the third victim the Audrain Prosecutor has brought forward aga
• Nov 27, 2020
Stop Human Trafficking Coalition of Central Missouri is excited to welcome The Weight of Blood author Laura McHugh as their featured speaker at next month s meeting, and you re invited (virtually, of course)! Guest: NANETTE WARD | Also, in a non-pandemic year, CCUA s annual Harvest Hootenanny is held outdoors with many in attendance. Since that s not possible this year, the event - temporarily known as the Holiday Harvest Hootenanny - is going online, live from the Blue Note in Columbia. BILLY POLANSKY tells us how how it ll work. (4:19) November 27, 2020