Charleston of counsel Matt Austin will speak at a two-part webinar series on identifying and responding to child sex trafficking for the University of South Carolina Children's Law Center.

During his time as an assistant U.S. attorney, Austin indicted and successfully tried two separate sex trafficking rings. In U.S. v. Damon Jackson, et al., Austin indicted 10 defendants for conspiring to traffic more than 100 victims throughout the Southeast. Seven defendants pled guilty while three went to trial. The jury convicted all three, and they were given significant sentences.

Part I of this training will provide an overview of the South Carolina child sex trafficking law, the prevalence of child sex trafficking, the importance of law enforcement in identifying and responding to child sex trafficking, child victims and children at risk of sex trafficking, trafficker tactics, trauma and the effects on victims of child sex trafficking, and how to collaborate with local children’s advocacy centers. 

Part II of the training will introduce tips for interacting with victims of child sex trafficking during investigation, interviewing suspects, internet investigation tools, and evidence collection. The training will culminate with the a case study of U.S. v. Damon Jackson, et al.