SPRING HILL, Fla. — Hernando County deputies and investigators announced the arrest of one man accused of trafficking two people, including a minor.
James Houllis was arrested on several charges this month including sexual battery. Sheriff Al Neinhuis said he groomed an adult woman for at least a year and lured a minor through an undisclosed dating app.
"Definitely, a sick individual to say the least," Neinhuis previously said.
The minor had run away from home, according to authorities.
While that may have put her in a vulnerable position, anyone can be groomed into trafficking, explained Madison Zivitski, prevention advocate with Selah Freedom, a local non-profit organization that fights human trafficking.
"The grooming process can be quick or it can take years," Zivitski said.
Grooming is the process traffickers or exploiters use to manipulate people.
They tend to find vulnerable people and the process can quickly start as a shower of compliments or gifts. Those being trafficked can then find themselves isolated from friends and loved ones, and dependent on those preying on them.
Neinhuis said the adult woman had been groomed in Colorado while she was a minor. Authorities in Aurora, Colorado are also investigating any unlawful activity by Houllis there.
As for the juvenile survivor, Neinhuis said Houllis lured her into his home posing as the adult woman through the app. The grooming process can also begin through outreach on the internet and social media apps.
Zivitski said she encourages parents or guardians to have an open channel of communication with their children. That way, they can more easily turn for help or guidance.
"The biggest thing is talking about it before something that happens," Zivitski said. "They don't want their parents or guardians to know that they're engaging in any kind of inappropriate behavior, but that just makes the problem worse."
One in nine children receives online sexual solicitation, according to Selah Freedom.
Zivitski also recommends having a safety plan in case children come across people online trying to solicit them for sex.
While more is to be said about how the adult woman was groomed, Zivitski said it's difficult for survivors to leave after enduring mental abuse.
"It's not always like that physical restraint that you might think of. It's psychological," Zivitski said.
Florida is in the top three states in the nation for sex trafficking, according to Selah Freedom. The industry is said to generate billions of dollars worldwide.