Public Invited To Meeting In Trenton On Human Trafficking

TRENTON (CBS) - A day-long symposium is set in Trenton today at the State House Annex to delve into the problem of human trafficking, and the public is invited to attend.

"Human Trafficking Awareness Day," would be held on Tuesday, but that would conflict with Governor Christie's "State of the State" message next week.

Today's meeting (10am-3:30pm) will feature information on how to spot victims and will include the showing of a documentary on the subject, called "Playground." George Clooney played a hand in the production.

Deputy State Attorney General Viktoria Kristiansson says, "Human trafficking is a form of modern day slavery and a violation of human rights."

While you may hear a lot about it in other countries, it happens here, too -- and more often than you might think. Since 2005, New Jersey has had 143 reported cases of such trafficking, and Kristiansson says there are many more that law enforcement never hears about.

Reported by David Madden, KYW Newsradio