Evolving Approaches to Proactively Identifying and Investigating Sex Trafficking: A White Paper Analysis of AEquitas Roundtables
Dec 01, 2025
Read about the outcomes of the discussions held at AEquitas Roundtables on undercover operations as a tool to identify human trafficking.
Resource type
Other Publications
Author(s)
Jane Anderson (Senior Attorney Advisor, AEquitas); Jennifer Newman (Managing Editor of Legal Publications, AEquitas)
Share
Vice style undercover operations are common tools used by law enforcement to proactively identify potential victims and perpetrators of human trafficking. However, as understanding of how such operations negatively impact victims of human trafficking has spread, jurisdictions have worked to consider other tactics and tools at their disposal to identify human traffickers.
In an attempt to better understand potential emerging best practices for human trafficking investigations, AEquitas hosted a series of roundtable discussions with law enforcement, prosecutors, allied professionals, and lived experience experts. This white paper describes the purpose and limitations of vice-style undercover operations in identifying human trafficking, reviews the outcome of the discussions from the AEquitas roundtables, and outlines promising strategies being used in place of undercover operations to better serve victims of human trafficking.
This resource was produced by AEquitas under 15POVC-21-GK-03263-HT, awarded by the Office for Victims of Crime, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this presentation are those of the contributors and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.